In the half-century since Senegal's independence from French colonial rule, changing social, political and economic factors have dramatically shifted patterns of migration – as well as the narratives that represent them. Taking this into account, Mahriana Rofheart's book is dedicated to providing ‘revised critical paradigms' (p. 137) to map the changes through a range of texts as diverse as literature, narrative and documentary cinema, and hip hop songs and videos. In doing so, the author reveals how contemporary Senegalese narratives of migration have moved beyond the portrayals of failure that once dominated earlier works, providing alternatives that offer stronger local, national and global connections in powerful and creative ways.
The book is divided into three parts, and provides an overview of the historical context of migration in Senegalese texts before moving on to engage with more contemporary debates surrounding global dialogues on departure. Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of some of the academic arguments pertaining to the values and dangers of framing studies through a lens of national cultural production. The author justifies her own engagement with the nation through a concept of flexibility, whereby texts are selected less through any unifying goal than through their diverse approaches to addressing Senegalese migration. The book then turns to mid-twentieth-century texts to demonstrate the emerging trend in narratives portraying the Senegalese migratory experience, most notably to France. This chapter focuses on the way in which such narratives tended to depict the move abroad in terms of the ‘failed journey’, inevitably ending in tragedy, isolation and/or death. Chapter 2 charts the beginning of new imaginings of migration, with a focus on the literature and cinema of Ousmane Sembène and the cinema of Djibril Diop Mambéty. Here, Rofheart explores the ways in which these auteurs use Senegalese communities to provide alternatives to French influence. For Sembène, she argues for revolutionary possibility, while for Mambéty she makes a case for an entirely new depiction of the journey, whereby France becomes a peripheral player, the United States an emerging cultural power, and Senegal's urban centre, Dakar, the site for individual transformation.
The second part of the book is dedicated to female authors of different generations and their own unique approaches to writing migration narratives. Chapter 3 explores how Aminata Sow Fall reimagines return through local, often rural, spaces that can offer possibilities beyond the difficulties of life abroad. Ken Bugul's later work is then considered as an example of texts offering a vision of Senegal as a space where production and community can destabilize the idea of Europe-as-centre. Chapter 4 turns to Fatou Diome's novels, which, while celebrating migrancy, remain focused on the geopolitics that have a direct impact on Senegalese daily life, exploring particularly the diverse ways in which migration can both strengthen and weaken communities, and the ways in which money coming from migrants abroad functions to provide better opportunities for those left behind.
The third part introduces the migration narrative in hip hop music, documentary filmmaking and social media in order to demonstrate the continuing presence of the ‘failed journey’ narrative and those who work to change it. Chapter 5 looks at hip hop songs and videos that deal with departure from Senegal. The chapter focuses on the concerns emerging artists have with the political and economic realities facing Senegalese youth who illegally seek a better life abroad. Rofheart's analysis reveals the different approaches artists have, but also suggests a shared emphasis on strength and creativity as a means of asserting political change, which resonates with the texts examined earlier in Part II. The final chapter draws on a number of documentaries that are also concerned with attempts at illegal emigration by Senegalese youth. The author suggests that, despite attempting to work as educational tools for raising awareness, many of these films tend to reassert the ‘failed journey’ narratives that end in death or shameful return. She then considers the role of more collaborative forms of documentary to provide possible alternatives, but raises questions about the efficacy of online viewing platforms in circulating Senegalese content within and beyond the country's own borders.
As each case study successfully demonstrates, responses to migration in Senegal are incredibly diverse, reflecting the interests and experiences of the actors involved, as well as the changing media landscape. Rofheart's selection of texts makes this an interesting study that would provide undergraduate students with a sound understanding of some of the key cultural producers narrating Senegalese migration. The introduction of iconic figures early on in the book, coupled with an engaging study of often ignored female authors' academic texts, followed by contemporary case studies in music, documentary and online media, is an exciting combination. The book's focus on the myriad ties that connect the migrant experience, be they local, national or international, emphasizes the continuing complexities of thinking about departure and return. In particular, the book's exploration of contemporary documentary and video narratives successfully reveals the potentials and limitations of digital media production and online forums such as YouTube. The author testifies to the continuing tendencies for international agencies to privilege the unreached destination (Europe) over focusing on, and trying to understand, the origin. Within the overall book, the suggestion remains that, regardless of the diversity of migration narratives that Senegalese people are creating about their own experiences, there are limits to how these stories can translate outside francophone Africa.
