Griot

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Senegalese Wolof griot, 1890

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A Hausa griot performs at Diffa, Niger, playing a (Xalam).

A griot (Template:IPAc-en; ; Manding: or (in N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; Template:Langx or / ; Template:Langx) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. Griots are masters of communicating stories and history orally, which is an African tradition.

Instead of writing history books, oral historians tell stories of the past that they have memorized. Sometimes there are families of historians, and the oral histories are passed down from one generation to the next. Telling a story out loud allows the speaker to use poetic and musical conventions that entertain an audience. This has contributed to many oral histories surviving for hundreds of years without being written down.

Through their storytelling, griots preserve and pass on the values of a tribe or people, such as the Senegalese, who are Muslims. The Wolof people in Senegal, many of whom cannot read or write, depend on griots to learn about their culture.

The griot is a repository of oral tradition and is often seen as a leader due to their position as an advisor to members of the royal family. As a result of the former of these two functions, they are sometimes called bards. They also act as mediators in disputes.

Etymology and terminology

The word may derive from the French transliteration of the Portuguese word , or the masculine singular term for 'servant'. Griots are more predominant in the northern portions of West Africa.

Despite the important role of the griot in African culture, it's difficult to pin down the word's origin; hence the variety of terms for griot in African languages. Griots are referred to by a number of names: in northern Mande areas, in southern Mande areas, in Wolof, or or in Serer, in Pulaar (Fula), in Hassaniyan, in Yoruba, and or in Soninke. Some of these may derive from Arabic Template:Wikt-lang , 'a saying, statement'.

The Manding term (meaning 'musicianhood') sometimes refers to the knowledge of griots, indicating the hereditary nature of the class. comes from the root word or ('blood'). This is also the title given to griots in regions within the former Mali Empire. Though the term griot is more common in English, some, such as poet Bakari Sumano, prefer the term jeli.

Today, the term and spelling djali is often preferred, as noted by American poet Amiri Baraka and Congolese filmmaker Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda.

Role

Historically, Griots form an endogamous professionally specialised group or caste, meaning that most of them only marry fellow griots, and pass on the storytelling tradition down the family line. In the past, a family of griots would accompany a family of kings or emperors, who were superior in status to the griots. All kings had griots, and all griots had kings, and most villages also had their own griot. A village griot would relate stories of topics including births, deaths, marriages, battles, hunts, affairs, and other life events.

Griots have the main responsibility for keeping stories of the individual tribes and families alive in the oral tradition, with the narrative accompanied by a musical instrument. They are an essential part of many West African events such as weddings, where they sing and share family history of the bride and groom. It is also their role to settle disputes and act as mediator in case of conflicts. Respect for and familiarity with the griot meant that they could approach both parties without being attacked, and initiate peace negotiations between the hostile parties.

Francis Bebey writes about the griot in African Music, A People's Art:

The West African griot is a troubadour, the counterpart of the medieval European minstrel... The griot knows everything that is going on... He is a living archive of the people's traditions... The virtuoso talents of the griots command universal admiration. This virtuosity is the culmination of long years of study and hard work under the tuition of a teacher who is often a father or uncle. The profession is by no means a male prerogative. There are many women griots whose talents as singers and musicians are equally remarkable.

In the Mali Empire

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Griots of Sambala, king of Médina (Fula people, Mali), 1890. Photo by Joannès Barbier.

The Mali Empire (Malinke Empire), at its height in the middle of the 14th century, extended from central Africa (today's Chad and Niger) to West Africa (today's Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal). The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita, whose exploits remain celebrated in Mali today. In the Epic of Sundiata, Naré Maghann Konaté offered his son Sundiata Keita a griot, Balla Fasséké, to advise him in his reign. Balla Fasséké is considered the founder of the Kouyaté line of griots that exists to this day.

Each aristocratic family of griots accompanied a higher-ranked family of warrior-kings or emperors, called jatigi. In traditional culture, no griot can be without a jatigi, and no jatigi can be without a griot. However, the jatigi can loan his griot to another jatigi.

In Mande society

In many Mande societies, the jeli was a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer (patronage), and storyteller. They essentially served as history books, preserving ancient stories and traditions through song. Their tradition was passed down through generations. The name jeli means "blood" in Manika language. They were believed to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers. Speech was believed to have power in its capacity to recreate history and relationships.

Despite the authority of griots and the perceived power of their songs, griots are not treated as positively in West Africa as may be assumed. Thomas A. Hale wrote, "Another [reason for ambivalence towards griots] is an ancient tradition that marks them as a separate people categorized all too simplistically as members of a 'caste', a term that has come under increasing attack as a distortion of the social structure in the region. In the worst case, that difference meant burial for griots in trees rather than in the ground in order to avoid polluting the earth (Conrad and Frank 1995:4-7). Although these traditions are changing, griots and people of griot heritage still find it difficult to marry outside of their social group." This discrimination is now deemed illegal.Template:By whom

Musical instruments used by griots

In addition to being singers and social commentators, griots are often skilled instrumentalists. Their instruments include stringed instruments like the kora, the khalam (or xalam), the ngoni, the kontigi, and the goje (or n'ko in the Mandinka language). Other instruments include the balafon, and the junjung.

The kora is a long-necked lute-like instrument with 21 strings. The xalam is a variation of the kora, and usually consists of fewer than five strings. Both have gourd bodies that act as resonator. The ngoni is also similar to these two instruments, with five or six strings. The balafon is a wooden xylophone, while the goje is a stringed instrument played with a bow, much like a fiddle.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica: "West African plucked lutes such as the konting, khalam, and the nkoni (which was noted by Ibn Baṭṭūṭah in 1353) may have originated in ancient Egypt. The khalam is claimed to be the ancestor of the banjo. Another long-necked lute is the ramkie of South Africa."

A story about the kora, told by Malian griot Toumani Diabaté, is that the instrument was invented by one of his ancestors, and it used to have twenty-two strings. He was chasing his fiancée, who ran into a cave. The griot was right behind her, but when he came out of the cave, he had a kora. His fiancée was nowhere to be found. To commemorate her, he played the kora with twenty-two strings, and as a tribute to him when he died, one of the strings was taken off.

Griot Toumani Diabate on stage in concert with his kora

Toumani Diabaté, "Prince of the Kora"

• Guinea, circa 1910. A Susu griot poses with his koni (lute) behind two women.
  Guinea, circa 1910. A Susu griot poses with his koni (lute) behind two women.
• Guinea, circa 1905. Two griots accompany their lord, playing their instruments to announce his presence.
  Guinea, circa 1905. Two griots accompany their lord, playing their instruments to announce his presence.
• Senegal, early 20th century. A Wolof leader and his griot. The griot is holding an xalam (lute).
  Senegal, early 20th century. A Wolof leader and his griot. The griot is holding an xalam (lute).

Present-day griots

Many griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the Mande peoples (Mandinka or Malinké, Bambara, Bwaba, Bobo, Dyula, Soninke etc.), Fulɓe (Fula), Hausa, Songhai, Tukulóor, Wolof, Serer, Mossi, Dagomba, Mauritanian Arabs, and many other smaller groups. There are other griots who have left their home country for another such as the United States or France and still maintain their role as a griot.

Today, performing is one of the most common functions of a griot. Their range of exposure has widened, and many griots now travel internationally to sing and play the kora or other instruments.

Bakari Sumano, head of the Association of Bamako Griots in Mali from 1994 to 2003, was an internationally known advocate for the significance of the griot in West African society.

Pape Demba "Paco" Samb, a Senegalese griot of Wolof ancestry, is based in Delaware and performs in the United States. Circa 2013, he performed in charity concerts for SOS Children's Villages in Chicago. As of 2023, Paco leads McDaniel College's Student African Drum Ensemble. His own band is titled the Super Ngewel Emsemble. Concerning the goals of modern-day griot, Paco has stated:

If you are griot, you have to follow your history and your family, because we have such a long history. You have to be traditional and share your culture. Any country you go to, you share your family with them.

A griot can provide their services as a praise singer, but they can also use their position to speak out against someone who is rich or has political clout. As a result, the once respected status of the griot has been tarnished, and they may be viewed as "parasitic and manipulative."

Malian novelist Massa Makan Diabaté was a descendant and critic of the griot tradition. He argued that griots "no longer exist" in the classic sense, but he believed the tradition could be salvaged through literature. His fiction and plays blend traditional Mandinka storytelling and idiom with Western literary forms.

Hip hop and griots

While griots have a thorough knowledge of history, they are also "masters of extemporizing on current events." For this reason, hip hop artists are often compared to modern-day griots. Both griots and rappers recite commentary through storytelling, but that is where the similarities may end.

Senegalese singer Fadda Freddy said, "[Ancient] Griots would accompany kings into battle to record their deeds and sing their praises, so they were brave, they were militant. Today rappers have become militants, so there is again no difference."

Journalist and rapper Thiat, member of the Senegalese hip hop group Jeur Gui, stated, "The role of the griot and the role of the rapper are completely different, we are nothing alike. Ancient griots served kings and modern griots praise rich people and serve politicians. We are the opposite—we serve the people against the politicians, we are the voice of the voiceless.”

Duggy Tee, a member of the Senegalese hip hop group Positive Black Soul, acknowledged that rappers and griots have similar roles as "educators and entertainers, historians and wordsmiths." However, an important difference between the two is that griots are primarily praise singers, but in "Hip Hop culture, we don't praise nobody (...) They ask for money, we hustle." He went on to assert that as praise singers, griots historically served a king or ruler in a sycophantic manner, whereas rappers represent the voice of those who were ruled.

Notable griots

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Mandinka griot Al-Haji Papa Susso performing songs from the oral tradition of the Gambia on the kora

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This ancient baobab tree in the Réserve de Bandia, Sénégal, forms a living mausoleum for the remains of famed local griots.

Burkina Faso

• Sotigui Kouyaté
• Dani Kouyate
• Dramane Koné

Côte d'Ivoire

• Tiken Jah Fakoly (Odienné)

The Gambia

• Lamin Saho
• Foday Musa Suso
• Papa Susso
• Musa Ngum
• Bai Konte
• Dembo Konte
• Jaliba Kuyateh
• Jali Nyama Suso
• Sona Jobarteh
• Alhaji Dodou Nying Koliyandeh

Ghana

• Osei Korankye

Guinea

• Djanka Tassey Condé
• Djeli Moussa Diawara or Jali Musa Jawara
• Mory Kante
• N'Faly Kouyate
• Prince Diabate

Guinea Bissau

• Nino Galissa
• Buli Galissa

Mali

• Abdoulaye Diabaté
• Baba Sissoko
• Ballaké Sissoko
• Bako Dagnon
• Balla Tounkara
• Cheick Hamala Diabaté
• Djelimady Tounkara
• Habib Koité
• Mamadou Diabaté
• Sidiki Diabaté
• Bassekou Kouyaté
• Toumani Diabaté

Mauritania

• Dimi Mint Abba
• Malouma
• Noura Mint Seymali

Nigeria

• Dan Maraya Jos
• Muhamman Shata

Niger

• Etran Finatawa
• Yacouba Moumouni

Senegal

• Ablaye Cissoko
• Mansour Seck
• Youssou N'Dour
• Coumba Gawlo Seck
• Thione Seck
• Yande Codou Sene

Further reading

• Charry, Eric S. (2000). Mande Music: Traditional and Modern Music of the Maninka and Mandinka of Western Africa. Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology; includes audio CD. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Hale, Thomas A. (1998). Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.
• Hoffman, Barbara G. (2001). Griots at War: Conflict, Conciliation and Caste in Mande. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.
• Suso, Foday Musa, Philip Glass, Pharoah Sanders, Matthew Kopka, Iris Brooks (1996). Jali Kunda: Griots of West Africa and Beyond. Ellipsis Arts.

External links

• African griot images Catherine Lavender, 2000
• Balla Tounkara "Griot" Catherine A. Salmons, 2004
• The Maninka and Mandinka Jali/Jeli
• The Ancient Craft of Jaliyaa
• Keita: The Heritage of the Griot (film notes)
• The Griot Template:Webarchive documentary by Volker Goetze
• The Grio News (The Grio is African-American news from NBC)
• Jeliya (the art of Jeli, or being a griot)