African Griots

[olufemi_baina_ayo]

African Griots

by Oralea Howard


Music is a dynamic force that animates life in West African tribal communities. Four and five-year-olds imitate the drumming and dancing of their elders; women sing to the rhythm created by their pounding of pestles in the mortar; drumming accompanies ceremonies, festivals and other collective activities. A circle of music and dance draws in audience members until they become performers. By participating in these musical events, people share in a creative experience while creating a community experience. Some indigenous languages lack a specific word for music, illustrating the blurry distinction between communication and music in their culture.

In the past, the role of the professional musician was reserved for those born into the griot caste. They still exist today, although the role of the musician is no longer held by the griots exclusively. The West African griot is a troubadour, the counterpart of the medieval European minstrel. This living archive of speech and song maintains oral traditions, both local and epic. They are taught by their elders and are trained over many years to learn the enormous quantity of traditional songs and to master the melodies and rhythms. A griot might be required to sing seven generations worth of a tribe's or family's history and, in some areas, to be completely familiar with the songs of ritual necessary to summon spirits and gain the sympathy of ancestors.

Any celebration or special occasion is incomplete without a griot, but their prominence has does not guaranteed them a position of high esteem. The griot caste is generally low in the social hierarchy, sharing a caste with shoemakers, weavers and blacksmiths. However, it can be made higher if the griot is employed by a nobleman, aristocrat, or somebody else of great prominence or wealth. This low position is one that follows the musician even after death. In some sections of West Africa, the griots have been denied proper burial. Historically, their bodies were placed in hollowed trunks of the boabab tree instead of in the ground, for fear of rendering the earth perpetually barren. But despite the social stigma, their musical ability commands universal admiration. They are often musicians of exceptional skill, exercising their art while upholding the traditions and customs of their ancestors.

In a society where art is a communal activity, the griots are often musically self-sufficient. They sometimes belong to the household of a nobleman, appointed to extol the virtues of their master. But most are independent, singing the praises of anyone who can afford to pay them and a less generous client might find the griot's song more critical than complimentary. Griots know everything that is going on in the tribe and can recall events that might have faded from popular memory. For this reason they are often viewed with a mixture of fear, admiration and scorn. But the griots of West Africa continue to maintain the traditions of their people for the generations to come.