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This article is about the West African poets. For the rapper, see Griot (rapper). Griot (real name Brewz Bana) is a rapper from Basel Switzerland
This ancient Baobab tree in the Réserve de Bandia, Sénégal, forms a living mausoleum for the remains of famed local Griots.
This ancient Baobab tree in the Réserve de Bandia, Sénégal, forms a living mausoleum for the remains of famed local Griots. Baobab is the common name of a Genus ( Adansonia) containing eight species of Trees native to Madagascar (having six species mainland
Senegalese Wolof griot, 1890
Senegalese Wolof griot, 1890
Griots of Sambala, king of Médina (Fula people, Mali), 1890.
Griots of Sambala, king of Médina (Fula people, Mali), 1890. The Fula or Fulbe or Fulani (the latter being an Anglicisation of the word in their language Fulɓe) are an ethnic group of Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa.
A modern Griot performs at Diffa, Niger, playing a Ngoni or Xalam.
A modern Griot performs at Diffa, Niger, playing a Ngoni or Xalam. Diffa is a town in southeast Niger, near that country's border with Nigeria, with a population of 23600 (2004 Niger ( or /ˈnaɪdʒɚ/) officially the Republic of Niger, is a Landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. Xalam, also spelled khalam, is the Wolof name for a traditional stringed musical instrument from West Africa.

A griot (pronounced /gɹi. ɒ/ in English or [ɡʁi. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States o] in French, with a silent t) or jeli (djeli or djéli in French spelling) is a West African poet, praise singer, and wandering musician, considered a repository of oral tradition. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people In an alphabetic writing system, a silent letter is a letter that in a particular word does not correspond to any sound in the word's Pronunciation. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Oral history can be defined as the recording preservation and interpretation of historical information, based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker As such they are sometimes also called bards. Etymology The word is a Loanword from descendant languages of Proto-Celtic *bardos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gwerh2 According to Paul Oliver in his book "Savannah Syncopators", "Though [the griot] has to know many traditional songs without error, he must also have the ability to extemporize on current events, chance incidents and the passing scene. His wit can be devastating and his knowledge of local history formidable. " Although they are popularly known as 'praise singers', griots may also use their vocal expertise for gossip, satire, or political comment.

Griots today live in many parts of West Africa, including Mali, Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal, and are present among the Mande peoples (Mandinka, Malinké, Bambara, etc. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. The Mandinka (also known as Mandingo) are one of the largest Ethnic groups in West Africa with a population estimated at eleven million. The Malinké or Maninka are a part of Mandé in Africa. Approximately 7750000 Malinké are scattered throughout West Africa, including ), Fulɓe (Fula), Hausa, Tukulóor, Wolof, Serer, Mauritanian Arabs and many other smaller groups. The Fula or Fulbe or Fulani (the latter being an Anglicisation of the word in their language Fulɓe) are an ethnic group of The Toucouleurs (or Haalpulaaren) are a Fula agricultural people who live primarily in the north of Senegal (where they comprise 10% of the population Mauritania (موريتانيا Mūrītāniyā officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country The word may derive from the French transliteration "guiriot" of the Portuguese word "criado," which in turn means "servant. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. "

In African languages, griots are referred to by a number of names: jeli in northern Mande areas, jali in southern Mande areas, guewel in Wolof, gawlo in Pulaar (Fula), and igiiw in Hassaniyya Arabic. The Fula language is a language of West Africa, spoken by the Ful{{IPA|ɓ}}e (Fula or Fulani people from Senegambia and Guinea to Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Griots form an endogamous caste, meaning that most of them only marry fellow griots and that those who are not griots do not normally perform the same functions that they perform. Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups classes or ethnicities Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power.

Contents

Griots and jeliya

The Manding term jeliya (meaning "musicianhood") is sometimes used for the knowledge of griots, indicating the hereditary nature of the class. The Manding languages are a fairly mutually intelligible group of dialects or languages in West Africa, belonging to the Mande languages. Jeliya comes from the root word jeli or djeli (blood), which is also the title given to griots in areas corresponding to the former Mali Empire. The Mali Empire or Manding Empire or Manden Kurufa was a Medieval West African civilization of the Mandinka from c Though the usage "griot" is far more common in English, some griot advocates such as Bakari Sumano prefer the term jeli. Bakari Sumano ( 1935 - July 21, 2003) was head of Malian association of Griots (wandering Poet - Musicians from 1994

In the Mali Empire

The Mali Empire (Malinke Empire), at its height in the middle of the fourteenth century, extended from central Africa (today's Chad and Niger) to West Africa (today's Mali and Senegal). The Mali Empire or Manding Empire or Manden Kurufa was a Medieval West African civilization of the Mandinka from c Central Africa is a core Region of the African Continent often considered to include Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa. Niger ( or /ˈnaɪdʒɚ/) officially the Republic of Niger, is a Landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. The Empire was founded by Sundjata Keita, whose exploits remain celebrated in Mali even today. Sundiata Keita or Sundjata Keyita or Mari Djata I (c 1217 - c In the Epic of Sundjata, King Naré Maghann Konaté offered his son Sundiata a griot, Balla Fasséké, to advise him in his reign. Sundiata Keita or Sundjata Keyita or Mari Djata I (c 1217 - c Naré Maghann Konaté (died c 1218 was a 12th-century Faama (king of the Mandinka people, in what is today Mali. Balla Fasséké is thus considered the first griot and the founder of the Kouyaté line of griots that exists to this day.

Each family of griots accompanied a family of warrior-kings, which they called jatigi. In traditional culture, no griot can be without jatigi, and no jatigi can be without a griot; the two are inseparable, and worthless without the other. However, the jatigi can accept a "loan" of his griot to another jatigi.

Most villages also had their own griot, who told tales of births, deaths, marriages, battles, hunts, affairs, and hundreds of other folktales.

Griots/Jeli in Mande Society

The Jeli in Mande society was as a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer (patronage), and storyteller. Essentially, these musicians were walking history books, preserving their ancient stories and traditions through song. Their inherited tradition was passed down through generations. Their name, "Jeli", means "Blood" in the Manika language. They were said to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers as music is associated as such. Speech is also said to have power as it can recreate history and relationships.

Griots today

Bakari Sumano, head of the Association of Bamako Griots from 1994 to 2003, was an internationally-known advocate for the importance of the griot in West African society. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

In popular culture

In the Malian film Guimba the Tyrant directed by Cheick Oumar Sissoko, the storytelling is done through the village griot, who also serves to provide comic relief. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Guimba the Tyrant (French Guimba un tyrant une époque is a 1995 Malian comedy drama film in the Bambara language (with some Fula language Cheick Oumar Sissoko (born 1945 in San, Mali) is a Malian Film director and Politician.

In the late novels of the Ivorian writer Ahmadou Kourouma, Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote takes the form of a praise-song by the Sora, the Griot, Bingo to the president-Dictator of the fictitious République du Golfe. Côte d'Ivoire (ˌkoʊt divˈwɑː(r ' in English, kot diˈvwaʀ in French) or Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a Ahmadou Kourouma, ( November 24, 1927 &ndash December 11, 2003) was an Ivorian novelist His final novel Allah is not Obliged also prominently features a griot character.

There are also references in the Alex Haley's book Roots of a Griot that passed his family history through oral tradition. Roots The Saga of an American Family is a Novel written by Alex Haley and first published in 1976. When Haley traces back his history, passing from his previous generation through the slave time, back to Africa, he thought there should be griots telling his history and the history of his ancestor, known in the family as "The African", who was captured in the bushes when he was seeking timber to make a talking drum. When he arrived in Africa to make researches to his book, he actually found Griots telling his history. It was through them he learned the ancestor's identity, Kunta Kinte. Kunta Kinte is the central character of the Novel, Roots The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, and of the television mini-series Since he had first heard the story from his grandmother and later refreshed by his older cousin, he believed that they were griots in their own way until someone put the story to writing. He later learned that his cousin had died within the hour of his arrival at the village.

In Paule Marshall's Praisesong for the Widow, the protagonist Avatara (Avey) might take on some of the characteristics of a griot, especially in her commitment to passing on to her grandchildren her aunt's oral story of the Ibos at the Landing, in which Africans brought to the U. Paule Marshall (born April 9, 1929) is an American Author. She was born Valenza Pauline Burke in Brooklyn to Barbadian S. Sea Islands to be slaves promptly turned around and walked back to Africa over the water.

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

List of griot artists/groups

See also

External links

References

Dictionary

griot

-noun

  1. West African storyteller who passes on oral traditions, wandering musician and poet.
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