Griot
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The art of music in the Soudan is confined to a peculiar caste of men called griots, who are from father to son itinerant musicians and composers of heroic songs."--Between Two Opinions (1881) by Pierre Loti "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".--Savannah Syncopators (1970) by Paul Oliver "First appeared the griots. These are a special class, and divide further into two separate specialized functions. One type of griot is like the subsidized poet or minstrel who was attached to a European Court in the Middle Ages. He is an improvising singer, shouter, orator, whose duty is to flatter and to glorify his master. The second type of griot corresponds even more precisely to the medieval king’s jester. He is a comic fellow to whom every outrageous licence is permitted. Every important Ivory Coast chief has one or more of each of these types attached to his train."--Jungle Ways (1930) by William Seabrook "The Griot. On the same social level as the black-smith-surgeon-sorcerer is the griot (Dieli-Ke). He is the musician, the singer of praises of whoever will pay him, the minstrel of the Middle Ages. The instrument he usually plays on, bears a striking resemblance to the hurdy-gurdy of the Savoyard, and from it he extracts some excruciating sounds. The accordion is also in favour with him. The free man has a great contempt for the griot, but is afraid of him. He is more intelligent than the common run of the natives, and " exploits " everybody, either by singing the praises of the generous, or by making insulting songs about those with whom he has a quarrel. The griot goes to war without any musket, — like the blacksmith-armourer,— but with a sword, which, however, he does not use. He contents himself, during the battle, with singing, and exciting the warriors to kill each other. If his side should happen to be vanquished, he will, without the least sense of shame, change his opinion and servilely exalt the victor."--Untrodden Fields of Anthropology (1893) by Louis Jacolliot |
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A griot is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and/or musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition, and is also often seen as something of a societal leader due to his traditional position as an adviser to royal personages. As a result of the former of these two functions, he is sometimes also called a bard. Although they are popularly known as "praise singers", griots may also use their vocal expertise for gossip, satire, or political comment.
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