Griots and Grioettes their instruments too

excerpts from Joanna Lott Keepers of History excerpts from Joanna Lott

Who holds your history? Griots hold the memory of West Africa.   In West Africa, written history is something new. African history was written in European languages during the colonial era beginning in the late 1800s, and has been around in Arabic for centuries. But societies in the Sahel and Savanna regions of West Africa have long kept their own history, in their own languages, orally, in the form of epics (long stories often sung).

Imagine relying on someone's memory to hold your people's history Imagine relying on someone's memory to hold your people's history. In many parts of West Africa, this job is carried out by the griot.

Griots have been around for a millennium (one thousand years). Once, the male griots and female griottes were historians, genealogists (a person who traces or studies the descent of families), advisers to nobility, entertainers, messengers, praise singers — the list goes on. Today they are mainly entertainers.

The griot profession is inherited, passed on from one generation to the next. Griots are very different from the rest of society, almost a different ethnic group. They are both feared and respected by people in West Africa for their wisdom and talent with words.

In return for their services, griots receive gifts. There is no set fee. They never know what they will get. Sometimes a few coins, sometimes a blanket, sometimes much more.

Good griots must have remarkable memories and be ever ready to recite or sing long histories, genealogies, and praise songs. They must also be musically talented. To become a griot you must learn genealogies and histories, but not just the words, also the music.

Training for a griot begins within the family unit, with boys and girls learning from their griot parents, and then moves on to a formal griot school, and then to an apprenticeship with a master griot.

Both boys and girls can train to be griots, although griottes may have less freedom to travel and train because most are mothers. This is the way griots have always been trained.

To Sum It Up

Griots, pronounced "greeohs", are storytellers of West Africa who use poetry and rhythm to teach villagers about their history. Their home is the territory of the Mandinke people in the country of Mali where their tradition is alive to this day. "Griot" is the French term for this class of musicians; the local term is jeli.

This oral tradition was (and in rural areas still is) central to the preservation of history and culture in ancient African societies as written language was very scarcely used. Griots also traditionally play important roles as community arbitrators and peacemakers much like lawyers and judges today.

Pictures of Griots

                                                                               Griots hold the memory of West Africa. At the festival marking the installation of a regional chief in Faraba Banta in October 1991, griotte Adama Suso sings and Ma Lamini Jobareth plays the kora.

Griot singer Suso is playing the kora (note his name on the instrument).

Members of the Mandingo Jalis with friends Members of the Mandingo Jalis with friends. From left: Dela Kanuteh (with balafon), Aliu S. Dabo (griot), Karunka Suso (with kora), friend, and Mawdo Suso (with balafon).

listen to some griots http://home.planet.nl/~verka067/Songs.html

Djembes wooden drum

The djembe is heard on most celebrations of one's life likeweddings, baptisms, harvests, and parties. The djembe is carved in one single piece into a log of hard wood. It has a hide top. These are some designs that are carved on for decoration.

Balafon xylophone

The West African balaphone is both percussive and melodic, and has many musical relatives around the world.

In the Mandingo country, the Balafon is played by the griots when they tell the stories of the families. The Balafon is a wooden xylophone, mounted on a bamboo frame. The blades are all parallel to each other, a calabash (gourd) under each blade is used as a sound box.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Barra gourd drum                                                                         

The Barra is originally form Mali The Barra is originally form Mali. It is played in celebrations of happy events. The Barra is made out of 3/4 of a calabash (gourd) shell, on which is fixed a treated cow skin, stretched with normal ropes or with leather strings. The Barra is normally played with all the surface of the hands. Its sound has a vibrating quality when it is not very stretched, but it is often tuned to get a clear and dry sound.

Kora harp + guitar

The kora is a unique instrument with a harp-like appearance and a notched bridge similar to that of a guitar. It sounds somewhat like a harp, but its intricate playing style can be closer to flamenco (Spanish) guitar.

The kora's body is made from a calabash gourd cut in half and partially covered with cow skin.

Traditionally, there are twenty-one playing strings plucked by the thumb and forefinger of each hand. The remaining fingers grip the two vertical hand posts.

Cora Connection: Discover The Mandinka Kora http://www.kora-music.com/