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Words of griots |
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Griots are called many things including, African wandering poet and musician, guardian of oral tradition, a village entertainer, praise singer, and oral historian. The cast of griot is found in almost all the West-African cultures. Griots are born in the cast ofas Griots, they're not chosen nor have they evolved their entertainment or singing talents to become griots..
Traditionally, there are two types of griots: those who are musicians and those who speak. In the Fulani society, those whose exclusively play the hodu (ngoni) musical instruments are called wambave (sing. bambazo). Generally, a griot's role in society included everything to do with communications: oral history, genealogies and social rankings, messages of social or diplomatic significance, talking drum, war drums, royal and dancing drums, music, storytelling, and buffoonery. Griot families were attached to particular noble families or a community, receiving protection and often generous remuneration in exchange for their services. One of their most important function is to keep the genealogy of families and communities. The transmit their knowledge of the genealogy and historical feats from generation to generation, is primarily attributed to the dominant oral culture.
They often sing songs that praise an individual and tell their history or songs that are of historical or entertainment nature. They specialize in many types of instruments such as the the molo, hodu, nyanyoru, Kora, balaphone which is passed on from generation to generation from father to son. The women griot sing, dance and also play the calabass and gourd.
Music
The most popular instruments are introduced here.
The balaphone resembles the western xylophone and varie in design from place to place. For example the senegambian balaphone is made up of 20 rectangular wooden slats. Two rows of calabashes below the slats serve as natural amplifiers. We play it with two mallets, wooden sticks with the tops covered with cloth. The music is a mix of percussion and melody.
A kora sounds like a harp-lute. The body is made from a calabash, that has been cut in half. Thereupon we place cowskin. A traditional kora has 21 strings, made of fishingline. The strings are plucked by the thumb and forefinger of each hand. The other fingers hold the two vertical hand posts. We tune the kora by moving the leather rings on the hardwood neck.
Although the (flute) and nyanyoru (violin), the drums are present every where is the Fulani music and dance.Drums called buuba or mbaggu. Over time, Fulani have evolved many music genre such as: sorawo, leele, wango, and pecan.
Through songs the communities store their history, teach adolescents the secrets of adulthood, and praise important figures. Religious chanting frequently goes on all night, and is specially heard during religious holidays blasting from loud speakers on public transport. Modern popular singers such as Baaba Maal have mixed the traditional Fulani music and rhythmic base with various modern modes of music to produce sounds which are well appreciated throughout the world.
Dance
A traditional drumming and dancing program consists of several parts. When the three drummers begin the buuba, the women of the village form a big circle. The women will sing and if the music is good, they will dance. The neighbours or age groups organise parties for a variety of purposes: weddings, naming ceremonies, harvest, wrestling matches, group fishing, which are all accompanied with dancing and drumming.
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Words of griots
We are vessels of speech, we are the repositories
which harbor secrets many centuries old & without
us the names of kings would vanish from oblivion,
we are the memory of mankind; by the spoken word
we bring to life the deeds and exploits of kings
for younger generations. History holds no mystery for us;
we teach to the vulgar just as much as we want to teach them,
for it is we who keep the keys to the twelve doors of Mali &...
I teach the kings of their ancestors so that the lives
of ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old
but the future springs from the past.
The words of the Mali griot Mamadou Kouyate,
Quoted in D. T. Niane, Sundiata: An Epic of Old MaliA.D. 1217-1237 |
Links:
Books (About griots)
Amkoullel, l'enfant peul by Amadou Hampaté Ba
Amadou describes his youth (1900-1920) in colonised West-Africa. ...his work is of enormous historical and ethnological importance... (Le Monde).
Performing Africa by Paulla A. Ebron.
A detailed ethnographic study of the role griots have in Gambian society. A bit too scholarly at times for the average reader but the way she writes about her personal experiences in The Gambia, the interview encounters and her travels is thouroughly enjoyable.
In griot timeby Banning Eyre.
Banning spent 7 months with Djelimady Tounkara, the guitarist of the Rail Band in Bamako, Mali. In his book he tells about music, musicians, griots and every day life in this Westafrican country. A great book for musiclovers and people interested in West Africa.
Griots and griottes by Thomas A. Hale.
Tom Hale is a professor of African, French and Comparative Literature at The Pennsylvania State University. So if you want well documented and unbiased information read this book.
Our grandmothers drumsby Mark Hudson.
Mark spent 14 months in The Gambia, working with and doing research among the women of Dulaba. He is also the author of The music in my head.
The griot's craft by Jan Jansen
Jan conducted his research about the skills of griots as mediators among the griots of Kela (Mali).
The two hearts of Kwasi Boachi by Arthur Japin.
A beautiful novel about two young Westafrican princes who left their home country in 1837 to study in The Netherlands.
The African Child by Camara Laye
An account of the author's experiences during his boyhood in Guinea. A beautiful book, first published in 1954 but still available in the bookshops around the Serrekunda mosque.
Under the baobab tree by Rosemary Long.
In 1989 journalist Rosemary from Scotland came to live with Ray from The Gambia. The columns that she wrote for the Glasgow Herald about her new life are now published as a book. A nice read for newcomers to The Gambia.
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