Griot

thumb|right|200px|Senegalese griot, 1890

thumb|200px|A [[Hausa people|Hausa griot performs at Diffa, Niger, playing a (Xalam).]]

A griot (; ; Manding: or (in N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; or or / ; ) 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. The Wolof people in Senegal, many of whom cannot read or write, depend on griots to learn about their culture.

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 or in Serer, in Yoruba, Some of these may derive from Arabic , 'a saying, statement'. 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:

With this privilege of being a neutral mediator, griots had the freedom and expectation to criticize and keep in line those with a higher social status. Their professional authority allowed them to speak honestly in public, often addressing nobles, political leaders, and wealthy families. In a way, they were able to be a voice for the marginalize and since their role in tradition was highly respected, their critics were not overlooked. In earlier periods, the verbal power of "nyamakalw" (artisan specialists, including griots) was believed to be strong enough to elevate a patron beyond his rank or undermine a noble's position in society.

Griots have learned how to use this form of communication as a sort of social influence. They are recognized for their strategic use of language in social and political contexts. Plus, skilled griots structure their speech so that multiple meanings can be interpreted from the same message. This practice is referred to as heteroglossia, and it's a sort of controlled ambiguity that allows them to enhance their influence. The ability to navigate competing perspectives through speech is considered a mark of mastery for both male and female griots.

Women griotes (Griottes)

Women griots, who are often referred to as griottes (Jelimusow in Mande languages), play a central role in Mande and other West African oral traditions. Similar to the men, they are typically born into hereditary griot families and trained from a young age. However, there has been a lack of research on Griottes as African Studies tended to be marked by the male point of view.

The research that exists explains how, although epic narration has often been described as a male domain, knowledge of epic traditions is not strictly limited by gender.

Despite their limitations beyond singing and performance, some griottes have achieved recognition as masters of verbal art. The title "ngara" (or naaraa) signifies high achievement in historical knowledge and verbal performance. This transformation reflects an embodiment of caste identity and the controlled expression of "Ama," which is a form of ritual power associated with griot status. Their clothes also symbolize this transformation as griot women wear bright colors and lots of jewelry to distinguish themselves from noble women and publicly show their caste difference. Within performance partnerships, the distribution of financial rewards has sometimes reflected broader gender hierarchies. Musicianship in griot families is considered to be inherited and not learned, thus emphasizing the hereditary aspect of the griot role.

They learn through observation, repetition, and guided participation in performances instead of through a classroom approach. Musical training in Mande culture is different from that in Western conservatories as students practice short repeated passages of actual pieces of music instead of exercises or technical drills. These segments then serve as examples of larger compositions and are repeated and expanded to build technical complexity and variation. Oral transmission is not only memorization but also on interpretation and adaptation as well. Griots learn basic stories and musical structures while at the same time learning how to adapt performances to specific audiences and social contexts.

Instrumental specialization may be also hereditary and gender based within jeli families. Males are often associated with instruments such as the kora, balafon, or ngoni, while females are often restricted to vocal performance and praise singing. Access to specialized knowledge may also be shaped by patronage, such as the perception of some forms of oral history being restricted or sacred. Although these traditions are changing, griots and people of griot heritage have historically faced social pressure to marry within their hereditary lineages to sustain this practice. Therefore, such strict social norms reinforce occupational identity and social hierarchy. In Mande culture, the king Sundiata eventually vanquishes named Sumanguru Kanté steals a magical balafon from forest genies that he uses to rule over his kingdom.

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.alt=Griot Toumani Diabate on stage in concert with his kora|thumb|272x272px|[[Toumani Diabaté, "Prince of the Kora"]]

File:Susu Griot, circa 1910, Conakry, Guinea.jpg|Guinea, circa 1910. A Susu griot poses with his koni (lute) behind two women.

File:Chef de Toumanéa (Guinée).jpg|Guinea, circa 1905. Two griots accompany their lord, playing their instruments to announce his presence.

File:Sénégal-Chef indigène et son griot (AOF).jpg|Senegal, early 20th century. A Wolof leader and his griot. The griot is holding an xalam (lute).

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Historical developments

Traditional vs. modern

The distinction between traditional and modern griots in Mande music is often described by scholars as fluid rather than set. These terms are flexible labels for different styles, not historical periods. "Traditional" often refers to older instruments and musical works, while "modern" represents performance with new technologies, growing ensembles, and global influence. However, in reality these elements are frequently combined.

In urban locations such as Dakar, Conakry and Bamako, jeli musicians commonly perform with both traditional instruments and newer technologies like electric guitars and amplification systems. Later regulations restricted public performance by creating limits on when wandering musicians could perform. Therefore, traditional royal patrons became less common as traditional structures as a whole weakened. Due to the decline of kings, many griots began working closely with modern politicians. In countries such as The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali, politicians developed strong ties with musicians, especially those involved in music recordings. 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.

A recent archaeological expedition in Guinea-Bissau confirmed what many griots already knew—that there was a powerful kingdom called Kaabu encompassing modern-day Guinea-Bissau and Senegal whose reign lasted from the 16th to the 19th century.

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.

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

Griot tradition has greatly influenced modern hip hop. The tradition of speaking a song to rhythm, for example, draws directly from griot performance style. This, combined with the griot tradition of storytelling, has led to comparisons of modern rappers to griots as "postmodern griots." Referring to rappers as "modern griots" is controversial, both among academics and rappers themselves.

Sociologist Damon Sajnani argues that the legacy of griots within west Africa - and particularly Senegal - is controversial. Rappers such as Fadda Freddy see themselves as continuing a militant tradition begun by griots, while Thiat sees griots as having been voices for the powerful rather than the voiceless. The ambivalent reception of the term "griot" for west African rappers is further supported by the work of Thomas Hale, who argues that the term itself has become positive for the African diaspora while negative for those in west Africa.

Baruti Kopano, however, argues that rap is a continuation of African oral tradition through its celebration of that tradition and expansion of explicitly Black oral traditions. This version of the griot reflects the viewpoint of the African diaspora and a reclamation of the term. Historian Frederick Gooding Jr. argues that rap is a direct continuation of the griot tradition through both its social advocacy and its direct lineage to African oral tradition.

Notable griots

thumb|[[Mandinka people|Mandinka griot Al-Haji Papa Susso performing songs from the oral tradition of the Gambia on the kora]]

thumb|This ancient [[Adansonia digitata|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

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
Sona Tata Conde
Djeli Moussa Diawara or Jali Musa Jawara
N'Faly Kouyate
Sory Kandia Kouyaté
Mory Kouyate
Kandia Kouyate
Djeli Fodé Kouyaté
Djelikaba Bintou Kouyaté
Sekouba Bambino Diabaté
Oumou Dioubaté
Cheick Hamala Diabaté
Prince Diabate
Sayon Camara
Mamady Azaya Kamissoko
Aminata Kamissoko
Mory Kante
Manamba Kante Bangoura
Souleymane Bangoura
Yaya Bangoura
Mbemba Bangoura
Yamoussa Bangoura
Fodé Seydouba Bangoura

Guinea Bissau

Nino Galissa
Buli Galissa

Mali

Abdoulaye Diabaté
Baba Sissoko
Ballaké Sissoko
Lassana Hawa Cissokho
Bako Dagnon
Balla Tounkara
Nainy Diabaté
Cheick Hamala Diabaté
Djelimady Tounkara
Habib Koité
Mamadou Diabaté
Sidiki Diabaté
Bassekou Kouyaté
Fatou Niame Kouyate
Toumani Diabaté
Mamadou Diabaté
Mamadou Diabate (Dg)
Mariam Ba Lagaré
Fatim Diabaté
Babani Koné
Bintou Soumbounou
Oumou Sangaré
Salif Keita

Mauritania

Dimi Mint Abba
Malouma
Noura Mint Seymali

Nigeria

Dan Maraya Jos
Muhamman Shata

Niger

Etran Finatawa
Yacouba Moumouni

Senegal

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