What’s in a Name?

The ethnic group known as the Jola, Jolla or Diola tribe as they are known in Senegal make up 10% of the Gambian population and are heavily concentrated in the Foni area of south west Gambia and Casamance in Senegal as well as parts of the north of Guinea-Bissau.

Historically Jola communities and lineages are highly fragmented, decentralised and highly autonomous and were spread out in hamlets covering several square kilometres. They do not have a caste system unlike say the Wolof social hierarchy and further they had no paramount chief like the Mandinka as rule was carried out only at the village level. They are famous in Gambia for their exciting tribal cultural dancing.

The Jolas of Foni call themselves Ajamat or Ajamatau and the Jola of Baiote call themselves Banyunkas (there are several different spellings for their name) it was the Mandinka who called them "Jo-la" which means someone who pays back for something given or done to them.