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A griot (/ˈɡriːoʊ/; French: [ɡʁi.o]; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: ߖߋߟߌ,^[1] djeli or djéli in French spelling); also spelt Djali; Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.

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.

The griot is a repository of oral tradition and is often seen as a leader due to their position as an advisor to members of the royal family. As a result of the former of these two functions, they are sometimes called bards. They also act as mediators in disputes.

Etymology and terminology

The word may derive from the French transliteration "guiriot" of the Portuguese word "criado", or the masculine singular term for "servant." Griots are more predominant in the northern portions of West Africa.^[2]

In African languages, griots are referred to by a number of names: ߖߋ߬ߟߌ jèli^[3] in northern Mande areas, jali in southern Mande areas, guewel in Wolof, kevel or kewel or okawul in Serer,^[4]^[5] gawlo 𞤺𞤢𞤱𞤤𞤮 in Pulaar (Fula), iggawen in Hassaniyan^{[citation needed]}, arokin in Yoruba,^{[citation needed]} and diari or gesere in Soninke.^[6] Some of these may derive from Arabic قَول qawl- a saying, statement.^{[citation needed]}

The Manding term ߖߋߟߌߦߊ jeliya (meaning "musicianhood") sometimes refers to the knowledge of griots, indicating the hereditary nature of the class. Jali comes from the root word ߖߊߟߌ jali or djali (blood). This is also the title given to griots in regions within the former Mali Empire. Though the term "griot" is more common in English, some, such as poet Bakari Sumano, prefer the term jeli.^{[citation needed]}

Today, the term and spelling "djali" is often preferred, as noted by American poet Amiri Baraka^[7] and Congolese filmmaker Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda.^[8]^[9]

Role

Historically, Griots form an endogamous professionally specialised group or caste,^[10] 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.^[11]

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.^[12]

Francis Bebey writes about the griot in African Music, A People's Art:^[13]

The West African griot is a troubadour, the counterpart of the medieval European minstrel... The griot knows everything that is going on... He is a living archive of the people's traditions... The virtuoso talents of the griots command universal admiration. This virtuosity is the culmination of long years of study and hard work under the tuition of a teacher who is often a father or uncle. The profession is by no means a male prerogative. There are many women griots whose talents as singers and musicians are equally remarkable.

In the Mali Empire

Griots of Sambala, king of Médina (Fula people, Mali), 1890

The Mali Empire (Malinke Empire), at its height in the middle of the 14th century, extended from central Africa (today's Chad and Niger) to West Africa (today's Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal). The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita, whose exploits remain celebrated in Mali today. In the Epic of Sundiata, Naré Maghann Konaté offered his son Sundiata Keita a griot, Balla Fasséké, to advise him in his reign. Balla Fasséké is considered the founder of the Kouyaté line of griots that exists to this day.

Each aristocratic family of griots accompanied a higher-ranked family of warrior-kings or emperors, called jatigi. In traditional culture, no griot can be without a jatigi, and no jatigi can be without a griot. However, the jatigi can loan his griot to another jatigi.

In Mande society

In many Mande societies, the jeli was a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer (patronage), and storyteller. They essentially served as history books, preserving ancient stories and traditions through song. Their tradition was passed down through generations. The name jeli means "blood" in Manika language. They were believed to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers. Speech was believed to have power in its capacity to recreate history and relationships.

Despite the authority of griots and the perceived power of their songs, griots are not treated as positively in West Africa as may be assumed. Thomas A. Hale wrote, "Another [reason for ambivalence towards griots] is an ancient tradition that marks them as a separate people categorized all too simplistically as members of a 'caste', a term that has come under increasing attack as a distortion of the social structure in the region. In the worst case, that difference meant burial for griots in trees rather than in the ground in order to avoid polluting the earth (Conrad and Frank 1995:4-7). Although these traditions are changing, griots and people of griot heritage still find it difficult to marry outside of their social group."^[14] This discrimination is now deemed illegal.^{[by whom?]}

Musical instruments used by griots

In addition to being singers and social commentators, griots are often skilled instrumentalists. Their instruments include stringed instruments like the kora, the khalam (or xalam), the ngoni, the kontigi, and the goje (or n'ko in the Mandinka language). Other instruments include the balafon, and the junjung.

The kora is a long-necked lute-like instrument with 21 strings. The xalam is a variation of the kora, and usually consists of fewer than five strings. Both have gourd bodies that act as resonator. The ngoni is also similar to these two instruments, with five or six strings. The balafon is a wooden xylophone, while the goje is a stringed instrument played with a bow, much like a fiddle.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica: "West African plucked lutes such as the konting, khalam, and the nkoni (which was noted by Ibn Baṭṭūṭah in 1353) may have originated in ancient Egypt. The khalam is claimed to be the ancestor of the banjo. Another long-necked lute is the ramkie of South Africa."^[15]

Griots also wrote stories that children enjoyed listening to. These stories were passed down to their children.

Present-day griots

Many griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the Mande peoples (Mandinka or Malinké, Bambara, Bwaba, Bobo, Dyula,Soninke etc.), Fulɓe (Fula), Hausa, Songhai, Tukulóor, Wolof, Serer,^[4]^[5] Mossi, Dagomba, Mauritanian Arabs^{[citation needed]}, 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.

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.^[16] 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.^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20] His own band is titled the Super Ngewel Emsemble.^[18] Concerning the goals of modern-day griot, Paco has stated:

If you are griot, you have to flow your history and your family, because we have such a long history. You have to be traditional and share your culture. Any country you go to, you share your family with them.^[18]

Malian novelist Massa Makan Diabaté was a descendant and critic of the griot tradition. Though Diabaté argued that griots "no longer exist" in the classic sense, he believed the tradition could be salvaged through literature. His fiction and plays blend traditional Mandinka storytelling and idiom with Western literary forms.^[21]

Notable griots

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

This ancient baobab tree in the Réserve de Bandia, Sénégal, forms a living mausoleum for the remains of famed local griots.

Burkina Faso

Côte d'Ivoire

Tiken Jah Fakoly (Odienné)

Gambia

Ghana

Osei Korankye

Guinea

Djanka Tassey Condé
Djeli Moussa Diawara or Jali Musa Jawara
Mory Kante
N'Faly Kouyate

Guinea Bissau

Nino Galissa
Buli Galissa

Mali

Mauritania

Nigeria

Niger

Senegal

References

^ Faya Ismael Tolno (September 2011). "Les Recherches linguistiques de l'école N'ko" (PDF). Dalou Kende (in French). No. 19. Kanjamadi. p. 7. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
^ Ho, Ro (15 November 2012). "Griot: Title given to a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and musician". Originalpeople.org. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
^ "J-j". Bambara/Dioula Dictionary. An ka taa. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b Unesco. Regional Office for Education in Africa, Educafrica, Numéro 11, (ed. Unesco, Regional Office for Education in Africa, 1984), p. 110
^ ^a ^b Hale, Thomas Albert, Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music, Indiana University Press (1998), p. 176, ISBN 9780253334589
^ Jablow, Alta (1984). "Gassire's Lute: A Reconstruction of Soninke Bardic Art". Research in African Literatures. 15 (4): 519–29. JSTOR 3819348.
^ Baraka, Amiri (1996). "Reflections on Oral Traditions: from Griot/Djali" (PDF). So the word, Griot, the poet, musician, historian, story teller, is getting known all over the world. Though "French" as transmitted "symbol", it is the best known for the W. African Djali (or Djeli, but Djeli ya, also means the Djali's act, his "getting down" to take us up and out).
^ Bakupa-Kanyinda, Balufu (1 January 2003). "Do not sleep with bitterness: Excerpt from an interview with Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda". African Film Festival, Inc. (Interview). Interviewed by Niang, Mamadou. Retrieved 22 August 2024. MN: With a relative success, the word "djali" is replacing the word "griot", which is a French "Africanism". But wouldn't you say that the misnomer "griot" traditionally designates a keeper of history?
BBK: I am more comfortable with the word "djali" because it has a connotation of rebellion. The word "djali" may be referring to a court, but it is also the voice of the people and of the past. But I think there is a difference between, on the one hand, the griot who glorifies the court,... and the singer interested in history and memory. Today you can pay a griot to sing your praise; you can make him say whatever you want. But one cannot pay the djali.
^ "Djali: Djelimakan Kanoute – Mali". Today is Good!. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ Panzacchi, Cornelia (1994). "The Livelihoods of Traditional Griots in Modern Senegal". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 64 (2). Cambridge University Press, International African Institute: 190–210. doi:10.2307/1160979. ISSN 0001-9720. JSTOR 1160979. S2CID 146707617. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "Storytelling traditions across the world: West Africa". All Good Tales. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "Manny Ansar: A cultural Caravan for Peace". Peaceprints. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
^ Bebey, Francis (1969, 1975). African Music, A People's Art. Brooklyn: Lawrence Hill Books.
^ Hale, Thomas A. (1997). "From the Griot of Roots to the Roots of Griot: A New Look at the Origins of a Controversial African Term for Bard" (PDF). Oral Tradition. 12 (2): 249–278. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
^ Robotham, Donald; Kubik, Gerhard (27 January 2012). "African Music". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
^ "Dover Citywide Black History Month events on tap". Bay to Bay News. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
^ "Celebrations". GreenwichTime. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "McDaniel student African Drumming ensemble hosts first performance". Baltimore Sun. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
^ "Silver Spring University Students Earn Academic Distinctions". Silver Spring, MD Patch. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
^ Cristi, A. A. "McDaniel College Announces Cultural Activities, Performances And Exhibitions For Spring 2023". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
^ Diabaté, Massa Makan (1985). L'assemblée des djinns (in French). Paris: Éditions Présence Africaine.
^ Sonko-Godwin, Patience, Trade in the Senegambia Region: From the 12th to the Early 20th Century, Sunrise Publishers, 2004, ISBN 9789983990041

External links

African griot images Catherine Lavender, 2000
Balla Tounkara "Griot" Catherine A. Salmons, 2004
The Maninka and Mandinka Jali/Jeli
The Ancient Craft of Jaliyaa
Keita: The Heritage of the Griot (film notes)
The Griot Archived 8 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine documentary by Volker Goetze
The Grio News (The Grio is African-American news from NBC)
Jeliya (the art of Jeli, or being a griot)

[1] Faya Ismael Tolno (September 2011). "Les Recherches linguistiques de l'école N'ko" (PDF). Dalou Kende (in French). No. 19. Kanjamadi. p. 7. Retrieved 17 December 2020.

[2] Ho, Ro (15 November 2012). "Griot: Title given to a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and musician". Originalpeople.org. Retrieved 27 May 2020.

[3] "J-j". Bambara/Dioula Dictionary. An ka taa. Retrieved 19 January 2023.

[Serer1-4] Unesco. Regional Office for Education in Africa, Educafrica, Numéro 11, (ed. Unesco, Regional Office for Education in Africa, 1984), p. 110

[Serer2-5] Hale, Thomas Albert, Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music, Indiana University Press (1998), p. 176, ISBN 9780253334589

[6] Jablow, Alta (1984). "Gassire's Lute: A Reconstruction of Soninke Bardic Art". Research in African Literatures. 15 (4): 519–29. JSTOR 3819348.

[7] Baraka, Amiri (1996). "Reflections on Oral Traditions: from Griot/Djali" (PDF). So the word, Griot, the poet, musician, historian, story teller, is getting known all over the world. Though "French" as transmitted "symbol", it is the best known for the W. African Djali (or Djeli, but Djeli ya, also means the Djali's act, his "getting down" to take us up and out).

[8] Bakupa-Kanyinda, Balufu (1 January 2003). "Do not sleep with bitterness: Excerpt from an interview with Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda". African Film Festival, Inc. (Interview). Interviewed by Niang, Mamadou. Retrieved 22 August 2024. MN: With a relative success, the word "djali" is replacing the word "griot", which is a French "Africanism". But wouldn't you say that the misnomer "griot" traditionally designates a keeper of history?
BBK: I am more comfortable with the word "djali" because it has a connotation of rebellion. The word "djali" may be referring to a court, but it is also the voice of the people and of the past. But I think there is a difference between, on the one hand, the griot who glorifies the court,... and the singer interested in history and memory. Today you can pay a griot to sing your praise; you can make him say whatever you want. But one cannot pay the djali.

[9] "Djali: Djelimakan Kanoute – Mali". Today is Good!. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

[10] Panzacchi, Cornelia (1994). "The Livelihoods of Traditional Griots in Modern Senegal". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 64 (2). Cambridge University Press, International African Institute: 190–210. doi:10.2307/1160979. ISSN 0001-9720. JSTOR 1160979. S2CID 146707617. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[11] "Storytelling traditions across the world: West Africa". All Good Tales. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[peaceprints-12] "Manny Ansar: A cultural Caravan for Peace". Peaceprints. Retrieved 1 December 2022.

[13] Bebey, Francis (1969, 1975). African Music, A People's Art. Brooklyn: Lawrence Hill Books.

[14] Hale, Thomas A. (1997). "From the Griot of Roots to the Roots of Griot: A New Look at the Origins of a Controversial African Term for Bard" (PDF). Oral Tradition. 12 (2): 249–278. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2016.

[15] Robotham, Donald; Kubik, Gerhard (27 January 2012). "African Music". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 18 October 2016.

[16] "Dover Citywide Black History Month events on tap". Bay to Bay News. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.

[17] "Celebrations". GreenwichTime. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2023.

[:0-18] "McDaniel student African Drumming ensemble hosts first performance". Baltimore Sun. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2023.

[19] "Silver Spring University Students Earn Academic Distinctions". Silver Spring, MD Patch. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.

[20] Cristi, A. A. "McDaniel College Announces Cultural Activities, Performances And Exhibitions For Spring 2023". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 14 February 2023.

[21] Diabaté, Massa Makan (1985). L'assemblée des djinns (in French). Paris: Éditions Présence Africaine.

[22] Sonko-Godwin, Patience, Trade in the Senegambia Region: From the 12th to the Early 20th Century, Sunrise Publishers, 2004, ISBN 9789983990041

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@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 {{use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
 [[File:GriotFête.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Senegalese [[Wolof people|Wolof]] griot, 1890]]
-[[File:Diffa Niger Griot DSC 0177.jpg|thumb|200px|A [[Hausa people|Hausa]] Griot performs at [[Diffa]], [[Niger]], playing a ''Komsa'' ([[Xalam]]).]]
+[[File:Diffa Niger Griot DSC 0177.jpg|thumb|200px|A [[Hausa people|Hausa]] Griot performs at [[Diffa]], [[Niger]], playing a {{lang|ha|komsa}} ([[Xalam]]).]]
-A '''griot''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|r|iː|oʊ}}; {{IPA-fr|ɡʁi.o|lang}};  [[Manding languages|Manding]]: '''jali''' or '''jeli''' (in [[N'Ko script|N'Ko]]: {{lang|dmn|ߖߋߟߌ}},<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Les Recherches linguistiques de l'école N'ko|author1=Faya Ismael Tolno|url=http://kanjamadi.com/dalukende19.pdf|magazine=Dalou Kende|language=fr|issue=19|page=7|date=September 2011|publisher=Kanjamadi|access-date=17 December 2020}}</ref> ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); [[Serer language|Serer]]: '''kevel''' or '''kewel''' / '''okawul'''; [[Wolof language|Wolof]]: '''gewel''') is a [[West Africa]]n historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.
+A '''griot''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|r|iː|oʊ}}; {{IPA|fr|ɡʁi.o|lang}};  [[Manding languages|Manding]]: '''{{lang|man|jali}}''' or '''{{lang|man|jeli}}''' (in [[N'Ko script|N'Ko]]: {{lang|dmn|ߖߋߟߌ}},<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Les Recherches linguistiques de l'école N'ko |author1=Faya Ismael Tolno |url=http://kanjamadi.com/dalukende19.pdf |magazine=Dalou Kende |language=fr |issue=19 |page=7 |date=September 2011 |publisher=Kanjamadi |access-date=17 December 2020 }}</ref> {{lang|man|djeli}} or {{lang|man|djéli}} in French spelling); also spelt '''Djali'''; {{lang-srr|'''kevel'''}} or '''{{lang|srr|kewel}}''' / '''{{lang|srr|okawul}}'''; {{lang-wo|'''gewel'''}}) is a [[West Africa]]n historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.
+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.
-The griot is a repository of [[oral tradition]] and is often seen as a leader due to their position as an advisor to [[Royal family|royal personages]]. As a result of the former of these two functions, they are sometimes called [[bard]]s. They also act as [[mediation|mediators]] in disputes.
+The griot is a repository of [[oral tradition]] and is often seen as a leader due to their position as an advisor to members of the [[royal family]]. As a result of the former of these two functions, they are sometimes called [[bard]]s. They also act as [[mediation|mediators]] in disputes.
-== Occurrence and ==
-Many griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the [[Mandé peoples|Mande]] peoples ([[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] or [[Malinké]], [[Bambara people|Bambara]], [[Soninke people|Soninke]] etc.), [[Fula people|Fulɓe]] ([[Fula people|Fula]]), [[Hausa people|Hausa]], [[Songhai people|Songhai]], [[Toucouleur people|Tukulóor]], [[Wolof people|Wolof]], [[Serer people|Serer]],<ref name="Serer1">[[UNESCO|Unesco]]. Regional Office for Education in Africa, ''Educafrica, Numéro 11'', (ed. Unesco, Regional Office for Education in Africa, 1984), p. 110</ref><ref name="Serer2">Hale, Thomas Albert, ''Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music'', Indiana University Press (1998), p. 176, {{ISBN|9780253334589}}</ref> [[Mossi people|Mossi]], [[Dagomba people|Dagomba]], [[Mauritania]]n Arabs{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}, 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 griots.
+== Etymology and terminology ==
-The word may derive from the [[French language|French]] transliteration ''"''guiriot''"'' of the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word ''"''criado''"'', or the masculine singular term for "servant." Griots are more predominant in the northern portions of West Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Griot: Title given to a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and musician|url=https://originalpeople.org/griot-title-given-to-a-west-african-historian-storyteller-praise-singer-poet-and-musician/|last=Ho|first=Ro|date=2012-11-15|website=Originalpeople.org|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref>
+The word may derive from the [[French language|French]] transliteration "''guiriot''" of the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word "''criado''", or the masculine singular term for "servant." Griots are more predominant in the northern portions of West Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Griot: Title given to a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and musician|url=https://originalpeople.org/griot-title-given-to-a-west-african-historian-storyteller-praise-singer-poet-and-musician/|last=Ho|first=Ro|date=2012-11-15|website=Originalpeople.org|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref>
-In African languages, griots are referred to by a number of names: {{lang|man|ߖߋ߬ߟߌ}} '''jèli'''<ref>{{Cite dictionary|title=J-j|dictionary=Bambara/Dioula Dictionary|url=https://dictionary.ankataa.com/lexicon.php?letter=11|url-status=live|access-date=January 19, 2023|publisher=An ka taa|language=en}}</ref> in northern Mande areas, '''jali''' in southern Mande areas, '''guewel''' in [[Wolof language|Wolof]], '''kevel''' or '''kewel''' or '''okawul''' in [[Serer language|Serer]],<ref name="Serer1"/><ref name="Serer2"/> '''gawlo''' {{lang|ff|𞤺𞤢𞤱𞤤𞤮}} in [[Fula language|Pulaar (Fula)]], '''iggawen''' in [[Hassaniya Arabic|Hassaniyan]]{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}, '''arokin''' in [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]],{{cn|date=June 2020}} and '''diari''' or '''gesere''' in [[Soninke language|Soninke]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gassire's Lute: A Reconstruction of Soninke Bardic Art |first=Alta |last=Jablow |journal=[[Research in African Literatures]] |volume=15 |issue=4 |year=1984 |pages=519–29 |jstor=3819348 }}</ref>
+In African languages, griots are referred to by a number of names: {{lang|man|ߖߋ߬ߟߌ}} '''jèli'''<ref>{{Cite dictionary|title=J-j|dictionary=Bambara/Dioula Dictionary|url=https://dictionary.ankataa.com/lexicon.php?letter=11|access-date=January 19, 2023|publisher=An ka taa|language=en}}</ref> in northern Mande areas, '''jali''' in southern Mande areas, '''guewel''' in [[Wolof language|Wolof]], '''kevel''' or '''kewel''' or '''okawul''' in [[Serer language|Serer]],<ref name="Serer1"/><ref name="Serer2"/> '''gawlo''' {{lang|ff|𞤺𞤢𞤱𞤤𞤮}} in [[Fula language|Pulaar (Fula)]], '''iggawen''' in [[Hassaniya Arabic|Hassaniyan]]{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}, '''arokin''' in [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]],{{cn|date=June 2020}} and '''diari''' or '''gesere''' in [[Soninke language|Soninke]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gassire's Lute: A Reconstruction of Soninke Bardic Art |first=Alta |last=Jablow |journal=[[Research in African Literatures]] |volume=15 |issue=4 |year=1984 |pages=519–29 |jstor=3819348 }}</ref> Some of these may derive from [[Arabic]] [https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%82%D9%88%D9%84 قَول] ''qawl''- ''a saying, statement''.{{cn|date=August 2024}}
-==Terms: "griot" and "jali"==
 The [[Manding languages|Manding]] term {{lang|man|ߖߋߟߌߦߊ}} ''jeliya'' (meaning "musicianhood") sometimes refers to the knowledge of griots, indicating the [[Heredity|hereditary]] nature of the class. ''Jali'' comes from the [[root word]] {{lang|man|ߖߊߟߌ}} ''jali'' or ''djali'' (blood). This is also the title given to griots in regions within the former [[Mali Empire]]. Though the term "griot" is more common in English, some, such as poet [[Bakari Sumano]], prefer the term ''jeli''.{{cn|date=November 2022}}
+Today, the term and spelling "djali" is often preferred, as noted by American poet [[Amiri Baraka]]<ref>{{cite web| url=https://citylore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1999-PPG-Reflections-on-Oral-Traditions.pdf| title= Reflections on Oral Traditions: from Griot/Djali| first= Amiri| last=Baraka| date=1996| quote= So the word, Griot, the poet, musician, historian, story teller, is getting known all over the world. Though "French" as transmitted "symbol", it is the best known for the W. African Djali (or Djeli, but Djeli ya, also means the Djali's act, his "getting down" to take us up and out).}}</ref> and Congolese filmmaker [[Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda]].<ref>{{cite interview | interviewer-last=Niang | interviewer-first=Mamadou |first= Balufu |last=Bakupa-Kanyinda | title=Do not sleep with bitterness: Excerpt from an interview with Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda  | website=African Film Festival, Inc. | date=1 January 2003 | url=https://africanfilmny.org/articles/do-not-sleep-with-bitterness/ | access-date=22 August 2024|quote=MN: With a relative success, the word "djali" is replacing the word "griot", which is a French "Africanism". But wouldn't you say that the misnomer "griot" traditionally designates a keeper of history?<br />BBK: I am more comfortable with the word "djali" because it has a connotation of rebellion. The word "djali" may be referring to a court, but it is also the voice of the people and of the past. But I think there is a difference between, on the one hand, the griot who glorifies the court,... and the singer interested in history and memory. Today you can pay a griot to sing your praise; you can make him say whatever you want. But one cannot pay the djali. }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Djali: Djelimakan Kanoute – Mali  | website=Today is Good! | date=30 June 2018 | url=https://todayisgood.rachelbeckleswillson.com/artists/djali/ | access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref>
 ==Role==
+Historically, Griots form an [[endogamous]] professionally specialised group or [[caste]],<ref>{{cite journal | last=Panzacchi | first=Cornelia | title=The Livelihoods of Traditional Griots in Modern Senegal | journal=Africa: Journal of the International African Institute | publisher=Cambridge University Press, International African Institute | volume=64 | issue=2 | year=1994 | issn=0001-9720 | jstor=1160979 | pages=190–210 | doi=10.2307/1160979 | s2cid=146707617 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1160979 | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Storytelling traditions across the world: West Africa | website=All Good Tales | date=8 November 2018 | url=https://allgoodtales.com/storytelling-traditions-across-world-west-africa/ | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>
-Griots are an ethnic group, which 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 [[mediation| 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.<ref name=peaceprints>{{cite web | title=Manny Ansar: A cultural Caravan for Peace| website=Peaceprints | url=https://www.peaceprints.ch/mannyansar-en | language=en | access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>
+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 [[mediation| 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.<ref name=peaceprints>{{cite web | title=Manny Ansar: A cultural Caravan for Peace| website=Peaceprints | url=https://www.peaceprints.ch/mannyansar-en | language=en | access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>
-Griots form an [[endogamous]] [[caste]], meaning that most of them only marry fellow griots and those who are not griots do not typically perform the same functions that griots perform.
+[[Francis Bebey]] writes about the griot in ''African Music, A People's Art'':<ref>Bebey, Francis (1969, 1975). ''African Music, A People's Art''. Brooklyn: Lawrence Hill Books.</ref>{{blockquote|The West African griot is a troubadour, the counterpart of the medieval European minstrel... The griot knows everything that is going on... He is a living archive of the people's traditions... The virtuoso talents of the griots command universal admiration. This virtuosity is the culmination of long years of study and hard work under the tuition of a teacher who is often a father or uncle. The profession is by no means a male prerogative. There are many women griots whose talents as singers and musicians are equally remarkable.}}
-[[Francis Bebey]] writes about the griot in ''African Music, A People's Art'':
-<blockquote>"The West African griot is a troubadour, the counterpart of the medieval European minstrel... The griot knows everything that is going on... He is a living archive of the people's traditions... The virtuoso talents of the griots command universal admiration. This virtuosity is the culmination of long years of study and hard work under the tuition of a teacher who is often a father or uncle. The profession is by no means a male prerogative. There are many women griots whose talents as singers and musicians are equally remarkable."<ref>Bebey, Francis (1969, 1975). ''African Music, A People's Art''. Brooklyn: Lawrence Hill Books.</ref></blockquote>
 ==In the Mali Empire==
 [[File:GriotsSambala.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Griots of Sambala, king of Médina ([[Fula people]], [[Mali]]), 1890]]
-The [[Mali Empire]] ([[Malinke Empire]]), at its height in the middle of the 14th century, extended from [[central Africa]] (today's [[Chad]] and [[Niger]]) to West Africa (today's [[Mali]] and [[Senegal]]). The empire was founded by [[Sundiata Keita]], whose exploits remain celebrated in Mali today. In the ''[[Epic of Sundiata]]'', [[Naré Maghann Konaté]] offered his son [[Sundiata Keita]] a griot, [[Balla Fasséké]], to advise him in his reign. Balla Fasséké is considered the founder of the [[Kouyate family|Kouyaté line of griots]] that exists to this day.
+The [[Mali Empire]] ([[Malinke Empire]]), at its height in the middle of the 14th century, extended from [[central Africa]] (today's [[Chad]] and [[Niger]]) to West Africa (today's [[Mali]],  [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Senegal]]). The empire was founded by [[Sundiata Keita]], whose exploits remain celebrated in Mali today. In the ''[[Epic of Sundiata]]'', [[Naré Maghann Konaté]] offered his son [[Sundiata Keita]] a griot, [[Balla Fasséké]], to advise him in his reign. Balla Fasséké is considered the founder of the [[Kouyate family|Kouyaté line of griots]] that exists to this day.
 Each [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocratic]] family of griots accompanied a higher-ranked family of warrior-kings or emperors, called ''jatigi''. In traditional culture, no griot can be without a ''jatigi'', and no ''jatigi'' can be without a griot. However, the ''jatigi'' can loan his griot to another jatigi.
-Most villages also had their own griot, who told tales of births, deaths, marriages, battles, hunts, affairs, and other life events.
 ==In Mande society==
 In many [[Mandé peoples|Mande]] societies, the ''jeli'' was a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer (patronage), and storyteller. They essentially served as history books, preserving ancient stories and traditions through song. Their tradition was passed down through generations. The name ''jeli'' means "blood" in [[Maninka language|Manika language]]. They were believed to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers. Speech was believed to have power in its capacity to recreate history and relationships.
-Despite the authority of griots and the perceived power of their songs, griots are not treated as positively in West Africa as may be assumed. Thomas A. Hale wrote, "Another [reason for ambivalence towards griots] is an ancient tradition that marks them as a separate people categorized all too simplistically as members of a 'caste', a term that has come under increasing attack as a distortion of the social structure in the region. In the worst case, that difference meant burial for griots in trees rather than in the ground in order to avoid polluting the earth (Conrad and Frank 1995:4-7). Although these traditions are changing, griots and people of griot heritage still find it difficult to marry outside of their social group."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hale|first=Thomas A.|year=1997|title=From the Griot of Roots to the Roots of Griot: A New Look at the Origins of a Controversial African Term for Bard|url=http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/12ii/2_Hale.pdf|journal=Oral Tradition|volume=12|issue=2|pages=249–278|access-date=2016-11-18|archive-date=2017-12-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202101752/http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/12ii/2_Hale.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> This discrimination is now deemed illegal.
+Despite the authority of griots and the perceived power of their songs, griots are not treated as positively in West Africa as may be assumed. Thomas A. Hale wrote, "Another [reason for ambivalence towards griots] is an ancient tradition that marks them as a separate people categorized all too simplistically as members of a 'caste', a term that has come under increasing attack as a distortion of the social structure in the region. In the worst case, that difference meant burial for griots in trees rather than in the ground in order to avoid polluting the earth (Conrad and Frank 1995:4-7). Although these traditions are changing, griots and people of griot heritage still find it difficult to marry outside of their social group."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hale|first=Thomas A.|year=1997|title=From the Griot of Roots to the Roots of Griot: A New Look at the Origins of a Controversial African Term for Bard|url=http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/12ii/2_Hale.pdf|journal=Oral Tradition|volume=12|issue=2|pages=249–278|access-date=2016-11-18|archive-date=2017-12-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202101752/http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/12ii/2_Hale.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> This discrimination is now deemed illegal.{{By whom|date=July 2023}}
 ==Musical instruments used by griots==
-In addition to being singers and social commentators, griots are often skilled instrumentalists. Their instruments include the [[kora (instrument)|kora]], the [[khalam]] (or [[xalam]]), the [[goje]] (or n'ko in the Mandinka language), the [[balafon]], the [[junjung]], and the [[ngoni (instrument)|ngoni]].
+In addition to being singers and social commentators, griots are often skilled instrumentalists. Their instruments include stringed instruments like the [[kora (instrument)|kora]], the [[khalam]] (or [[xalam]]), the [[ngoni (instrument)|ngoni]], the [[kontigi]], and the [[goje]] (or n'ko in the Mandinka language). Other instruments include the [[balafon]], and the [[junjung]].
 The kora is a long-necked [[lute]]-like instrument with 21 strings. The xalam is a variation of the kora, and usually consists of fewer than five strings. Both have [[gourd]] bodies that act as [[resonator]]. The ngoni is also similar to these two instruments, with five or six strings. The balafon is a wooden [[xylophone]], while the goje is a stringed instrument played with a [[Bow (music)|bow]], much like a [[fiddle]].
@@ Line 52: / Line 49: @@
 ==Present-day griots==
+Many griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the [[Mandé peoples|Mande]] peoples ([[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] or [[Malinké]], [[Bambara people|Bambara]], [[Bwaba]], [[Bobo people|Bobo]], [[Dyula people|Dyula]],[[Soninke people|Soninke]] etc.), [[Fula people|Fulɓe]] ([[Fula people|Fula]]), [[Hausa people|Hausa]], [[Songhai people|Songhai]], [[Toucouleur people|Tukulóor]], [[Wolof people|Wolof]], [[Serer people|Serer]],<ref name="Serer1">[[UNESCO|Unesco]]. Regional Office for Education in Africa, ''Educafrica, Numéro 11'', (ed. Unesco, Regional Office for Education in Africa, 1984), p. 110</ref><ref name="Serer2">Hale, Thomas Albert, ''Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music'', Indiana University Press (1998), p. 176, {{ISBN|9780253334589}}</ref> [[Mossi people|Mossi]], [[Dagomba people|Dagomba]], [[Mauritania]]n Arabs{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}, 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.
 [[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 [[Senegal|Senegalese]] griot of [[Wolof people|Wolof]] ancestry, is based in Delaware and performs in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=News |first=Delaware State |title=Dover Citywide Black History Month events on tap |url=https://baytobaynews.com/delaware/stories/dover-citywide-black-history-month-events-on-tap,100575 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Bay to Bay News |language=en}}</ref> Circa 2013, he performed in charity concerts for [[SOS Children's Villages – USA|SOS Children's Villages]] in Chicago. As of 2023, Paco leads [[McDaniel College]]'s Student African Drum Ensemble.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-11 |title=Celebrations |url=https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Celebrations-13382310.php |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=GreenwichTime |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=McDaniel student African Drumming ensemble hosts first performance |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-african-drumming-20171130-story.html |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-09 |title=Silver Spring University Students Earn Academic Distinctions |url=https://patch.com/maryland/silverspring/silver-spring-university-students-earn-academic-distinctions |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Silver Spring, MD Patch |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cristi |first=A. A. |title=McDaniel College Announces Cultural Activities, Performances And Exhibitions For Spring 2023 |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/baltimore/article/McDaniel-College-Announces-Cultural-Activities-Performances-And-Exhibitions-For-Spring-2023-20230113 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref> His own band is titled the Super Ngewel Emsemble.<ref name=":0" /> Concerning the goals of modern-day griot, Paco has stated:<blockquote>If you are griot, you have to flow your history and your family, because we have such a long history. You have to be traditional and share your culture. Any country you go to, you share your family with them.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>
+[[Pape Demba "Paco" Samb]], a [[Senegal|Senegalese]] griot of [[Wolof people|Wolof]] ancestry, is based in Delaware and performs in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dover Citywide Black History Month events on tap |url=https://baytobaynews.com/delaware/stories/dover-citywide-black-history-month-events-on-tap,100575 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Bay to Bay News |date=3 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Circa 2013, he performed in charity concerts for [[SOS Children's Villages – USA|SOS Children's Villages]] in Chicago. As of 2023, Paco leads [[McDaniel College]]'s Student African Drum Ensemble.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-11 |title=Celebrations |url=https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Celebrations-13382310.php |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=GreenwichTime |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=McDaniel student African Drumming ensemble hosts first performance |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-african-drumming-20171130-story.html |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Baltimore Sun|date=30 November 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-09 |title=Silver Spring University Students Earn Academic Distinctions |url=https://patch.com/maryland/silverspring/silver-spring-university-students-earn-academic-distinctions |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Silver Spring, MD Patch |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cristi |first=A. A. |title=McDaniel College Announces Cultural Activities, Performances And Exhibitions For Spring 2023 |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/baltimore/article/McDaniel-College-Announces-Cultural-Activities-Performances-And-Exhibitions-For-Spring-2023-20230113 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref> His own band is titled the Super Ngewel Emsemble.<ref name=":0" /> Concerning the goals of modern-day griot, Paco has stated:<blockquote>If you are griot, you have to flow your history and your family, because we have such a long history. You have to be traditional and share your culture. Any country you go to, you share your family with them.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>
+Malian novelist [[Massa Makan Diabaté]] was a descendant and critic of the griot tradition. Though Diabaté argued that griots "no longer exist" in the classic sense, he believed the tradition could be salvaged through literature. His fiction and plays blend traditional [[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] storytelling and [[idiom]] with [[Western culture|Western]] literary forms.<ref>{{Cite book|title=L'assemblée des djinns|last=Diabaté|first=Massa Makan|publisher=Éditions Présence Africaine|year=1985|location=Paris|language=fr}}</ref>
-==In popular culture==
-===Film and theater===
-*In the 2018 [[Marvel Studios]] movie ''[[Black Panther (film)|Black Panther]]'' and its 2022  sequel ''[[Black Panther: Wakanda Forever]]'', Princess [[Shuri (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Shuri]] creates an [[artificial intelligence]] assistant named Griot that is voiced by [[Trevor Noah]].<ref>IMDb: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9114286/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - All Cast & Crew". Accessed November 15, 2022]</ref>
-*[[Camille Yarbrough]] wrote a play called ''Tales and Tunes of an'' ''African American Griot'' that was performed at [[La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club]] in 1973.<ref>La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. [http://catalog.lamama.org/index.php/Detail/Occurrence/Show/occurrence_id/3792 "Production: ''Tales and Tunes of an African American Griot'' (1973)". Accessed July 11, 2018.]</ref>
-*In ''[[Guimba the Tyrant]]'' (1995), a [[Mali]]an film directed by [[Cheick Oumar Sissoko]], the village griot is a storyteller and provides [[comic relief]].
-*''I was born as a Djeli'' (2007) is a French [[Documentary film|documentary]] written by Gwenaelle de Kergommeaux and Olivier Janin and directed by Cédric Condom.
-*''[[Night of the Kings]]'' (2020) is an [[Ivory Coast]] film directed by Philippe Lacôte which pays tribute to the tradition of the griot.
-*In the Senegalese short film ''[[Borom Sarret]]'' (1963), written and directed by [[Ousmane Sembène]] and widely considered the first film made by a Black African in Africa, the protagonist gives his earnings to a griot for a momentary escape from the harsh reality of poverty.<ref>''Ousmane Sembène, Griot of the Screen'' by Lucas Keen June 2, 2021 https://pan-african-music.com/en/ousmane-sembene-griot-of-the-screen/</ref>
-===Music===
-* "Griot" is the name of an instrumental track on [[Jon Hassell]] and [[Brian Eno]]'s 1980 album ''[[Possible Musics]]''.
-*"The Griot" is a track written and arranged by [[Armand Sabal-Lecco]] on [[John Patitucci]]'s 1993 album ''[[Another World (John Patitucci album)|Another World]]''.
-*''[[Innercity Griots]]'' (1993) is the second album by Los Angeles [[hip hop]] group [[Freestyle Fellowship]], released through [[4th & B'way Records]]. The group consists of four emcees: [[Aceyalone]], P.E.A.C.E., [[Mikah 9]], and [[Self Jupiter]]. They received worldwide acclaim with this second project. Released during the [[Gangsta rap|gangsta]] era of [[West Coast hip hop]], ''Innercity Griots'', along with albums such as [[The Pharcyde]]'s ''[[Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde]]'' and [[Del the Funky Homosapien|Del tha Funkee Homosapien]]'s ''[[I Wish My Brother George Was Here]]'', established an era of [[alternative hip hop]] in [[California]].{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}
-*"Tale of a Griot" is the 15th song on the album ''[[Unforeseen Shadows]]'' by American hip hop artist [[Illogic]] on 1 January 2000.
-* "Griot" is the first song on the album ''Rubber Orchestras'' by Trinidadian poet and musician [[Anthony Joseph]] and [[The Spasm Band]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Rubber Orchestras|date=October 10, 2011|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rubber-Orchestras-Anthony-Joseph-Spasm/dp/B0057Q802W/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1|access-date=July 11, 2018}}.</ref>
-*''[[From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots]]'' is the second studio album by New Jersey experimental hip-hop outfit [[Dälek]] (2002).
-*''[[The Griot's Footsteps]]'' ([[Antilles Records|Antilles]]/[[Verve Records|Verve]] Records) is an album by [[cornetist]] and composer [[Graham Haynes]].
-* "The Soul Of The Griot" is a track on the [[Jamael Dean]]'s 2020 album ''Ished Tree''.
-===Literature===
-*[[Alex Haley]]'s 1976 novel ''[[Roots: The Saga of an American Family|Roots]]'' references a griot who passed down his family history through the oral tradition. When Haley traces 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 as he was seeking timber to make a [[talking drum]]. When Haley arrived in Africa to do research for his book, he believed he had found griots telling his history. Through them, he learned the ancestor's identity: [[Kunta Kinte]]. Since he first heard the story from his grandmother and then from his older cousin, he believed that these family members were griots themselves until someone put the story to writing. He later learned that his cousin had died within an hour of his arrival at the village. This story also illustrates the complexities of [[oral tradition]], particularly when approached without expert knowledge. In 1981, it was shown by Donald Wright that the story of Kunta Kinte had been manufactured by a well-wisher.<ref>Wright, Donald R. (1981). "Uprooting Kunta Kinte: on the perils of relying on encyclopoaedic informants." ''[[History in Africa]],'' volume VIII.
-</ref> Following the publication of ''Roots'', this story was being told in multiple versions with various embellishments.
-*In [[Lawrence Hill]]'s novel [[The Book of Negroes (novel)|''The Book of Negroes'']] (2007), the main character Aminata Diallo becomes a jeli.
-*The [[Ivory Coast|Ivorian]] writer [[Ahmadou Kourouma]]'s novel ''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. His final novel, ''Allah is not Obliged'', prominently features a griot.
-*In [[Paule Marshall]]'s ''[[Praisesong for the Widow]]'' (1983), the protagonist Avatara (Avey) takes on some characteristics of a griot, particularly in her commitment to passing on her aunt's oral story of the [[Igbo Landing]] to her grandchildren. In this story, Africans brought to the [[Sea Islands]] to be enslaved turned around and walked back to Africa over the water.
-* Malian novelist [[Massa Makan Diabaté]] was a descendant and critic of the griot tradition. Though Diabaté argued that griots "no longer exist" in the classic sense, he believed the tradition could be salvaged through literature. His fiction and plays blend traditional [[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] storytelling and [[idiom]] with [[Western culture|Western]] literary forms.<ref>{{Cite book|title=L'assemblée des djinns|last=Diabaté|first=Massa Makan|publisher=Éditions Présence Africaine|year=1985|location=Paris|language=fr}}</ref>
-=== Visual art ===
-* Beninese artist [[Pélagie Gbaguidi]] refers to herself as a contemporary griot, and works to unveil suppressed colonial and post-colonial West African histories with her art.
-* Neo-expressionist artist [[Jean-Michel Basquiat]] produced a series of paintings in 1984 which prominently feature griots, including '[[Flexible (1984 painting)|Flexible]]', 'Gold Griot', and '[[Sabado por la Noche]]'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basquiat's 'Griots' Painting, Sabado por la Noche, to Lead Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in London {{!}} Auctions News {{!}} THE VALUE {{!}} Art News |url=https://en.thevalue.com/articles/basquiat-sabado-por-la-noche-christies |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=TheValue.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
 ==Notable griots==
 [[File:Papa1999.b.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] Griot Al-Haji [[Papa Susso]] performing songs from the oral tradition of the [[Gambia]] on the [[Kora (instrument)|kora]]]]
 [[File:BaobabGriots.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This ancient [[Adansonia digitata|baobab]] tree in the Réserve de Bandia, Sénégal, forms a living mausoleum for the remains of famed local griots.]]
+{{refimprove|section|date=May 2023}}
 ===Burkina Faso===
 * [[Sotigui Kouyaté]]
 * [[Dani Kouyate]]
-* [[Baba Kienou]]
+* [[Dramane Koné]]
-* [[Amadou Kienou]]
 ===Côte d'Ivoire===
@@ Line 108: / Line 74: @@
 * [[Lamin Saho]]
 * [[Foday Musa Suso]]
-* [[Malamini Jobarteh]]
-* [[Yan Kuba Saho]]
 * [[Papa Susso]]
 * [[Musa Ngum]]
 * [[Bai Konte]]
-* [[Amadu Bansang Jobarteh]]
 * [[Dembo Konte]]
 * [[Jaliba Kuyateh]]
 * [[Jali Nyama Suso]]
+* [[Sona Jobarteh]]
 * [[Alhaji Dodou Nying Koliyandeh]]<ref>Sonko-Godwin, Patience,  ''Trade in the Senegambia Region: From the 12th to the Early 20th Century'', Sunrise Publishers, 2004, {{ISBN|9789983990041}}</ref>
@@ Line 124: / Line 88: @@
 ===Guinea===
-* [[Ba Cissoko]]
+*[[Djanka Tassey Condé]]
 * [[Djeli Moussa Diawara]] or Jali Musa Jawara
 * [[Mory Kante]]
 * [[N'Faly Kouyate]]
 ===Guinea Bissau===
@@ Line 143: / Line 107: @@
 * [[Habib Koité]]
 * [[Mamadou Diabaté]]
-* Sara M'Bodji
 *[[Sidiki Diabaté]]
 *[[Bassekou Kouyaté]]
 * [[Toumani Diabaté]]
-* Babani Konkistatu ne
 ===Mauritania===
@@ Line 164: / Line 126: @@
 ===Senegal===
 * [[Ablaye Cissoko]]
-* [[Baaba Maal]]
-* [[Nuru Kane]]
 * [[Mansour Seck]]
 * [[Youssou N'Dour]]
 * [[Coumba Gawlo|Coumba Gawlo Seck]]
 * [[Thione Seck]]
-* [[Aby Ngana Diop]]
-* [[Ndèye Diarra Guèye]]
-* [[Kadialy Kouyate]]
 * [[Yande Codou Sene]]
@@ Line 187: / Line 144: @@
 * [[Skald]]
 * [[Sub-Saharan African music traditions]]
+* [[TheGrio]]
 }}
@@ Line 193: / Line 151: @@
 ==Further reading==
+* {{cite journal|author=Brown, Diana| title=Griots at War: Conflict, Conciliation, and Caste in Mande| journal=[[American Anthropologist]]|volume= 105| issue=1| date=Mar 2003| pages=192–193| doi=10.1525/aa.2003.105.1.192| url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/ec08989fdaeecab9db61971a402a9f43/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=40961}}
 *Charry, Eric S. (2000). ''Mande Music: Traditional and Modern Music of the Maninka and Mandinka of Western Africa''. Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology; includes [[audio CD]]. Chicago: [[University of Chicago Press]].
 *Hale, Thomas A. (1998). ''Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music''. Bloomington, Indiana: [[Indiana University Press]].
@@ Line 206: / Line 166: @@
 *[http://babathestoryteller.com/the-ancient-craft-of-jaliyaa/ The Ancient Craft of Jaliyaa]
 *[http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/CoursePack/coursepackpast/keita.htm Keita: The Heritage of the Griot] (film notes)
-*[http://www.griotmovie.com ''The Griot''] documentary by [[Volker Goetze]]
+*[http://www.griotmovie.com ''The Griot''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108222316/http://www.griotmovie.com/ |date=8 January 2019 }} documentary by [[Volker Goetze]]
 *[http://www.thegrio.com The Grio News] ([[The Grio]] is African-American news from [[NBC]])
 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100920202539/http://djembefola.com/jeliya.php Jeliya] (the art of Jeli, or being a griot)
@@ Line 213: / Line 173: @@
 [[Category:Oral poets]]
 [[Category:Occupations in music]]
-[[Category:Gambian culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of the Gambia]]
-[[Category:Ghanaian culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Ghana]]
-[[Category:Guinean culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Guinea]]
-[[Category:Ivorian culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Ivory Coast]]
-[[Category:Malian culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Mali]]
-[[Category:Nigerian culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Nigeria]]
-[[Category:Senegalese culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Senegal]]
 [[Category:West Africa]]
 [[Category:Culture of the African diaspora]]

v t e FESPACO Étalon de Yennenga winners
1972–2000	Le Wazzou polygame (1972) Les Mille et une mains (1973) Muna Moto (1976) Baara (1979) Djeli (film) (1981) Finyè (1983) Histoire d'une rencontre (1985) Sarraounia (1987) Heritage Africa (1989) Tilaï (1991) Au nom du Christ (1993) Guimba the Tyrant (1995) Buud Yam (1997) Pièces d'identités (1999)
2001–present	Ali Zaoua (2001) Heremakono (2003) Drum (2005) Ezra (2007) Teza (2009) Pegasus (2011) Tey (2013) Félicité (2017) The Mercy of the Jungle (2019) The Gravedigger's Wife (2021)