Just who is a Griot in the West African culture and what place do they hold in society?

By Samuel Otachi Abuya

Africa, as a whole, is described in many ways and has been given several names and, top on that list being “the black or dark continent” among many others. All these names, however, seek to describe the nature of Africa right from its people to the peoples’ traditions which leave many amazed.

Africa, which is believed to be home to the early man, has a rich tradition which dates back millions of years back and is, in most cases, passed orally from one generation to the other. That way, the young are taught on their past generations who lived before them, and how they lived their lives.

For instance, in West Africa, there are griots, people who are really treasured and respected in the society.

But wait, who are the griots and what positions do they hold in their society?

Well, mostly, griots are described as learned historians, storytellers and entertainers.

A big deal of West African history is credited to the efforts of the griots that have played an integral part in making sure the history is passed from generation to the other, to date.

Roles of griots in the West African society

Apart from memorizing family histories and genealogies dating back centuries, griots also are charged with composing traditional music, playing diplomatic roles and teaching students.

They are also considered as spokespeople, warriors, masters of ceremonies and many more. However, it is agreed that not all griots can play all the above roles.

Alex Haley, a renowned American writer who met a griot in 1966, then described griots as people with good memories. He, in particular, met a griot who had memorized the whole story of Juffure village dating back to more than two centuries, a time when his ancestors were enslaved.

How to become a Griot

Traditionally, you had to have been born in a griot family for you to become one. It was considered to be more of an art that was hereditary. A griot family was expected to expose its young ones to both musical and verbal arts that would make them great griots in the future.

Nowadays, people can however learn and master this art. That is, there are some formal griot trainings that have been put in place to allow as many people as possible to master the griots arts.

To start with, a central house is identified and learning griots go there to learn from one another and overseen by a master griot. Some griot schools are state sponsored while some are private. Young and upcoming griots often travel to other regions and West Africa countries to learn from master griots.

Can a woman become a griot? Yes but griottes, as female griots are known, are biased against by traditions. They are considered to be lesser to men griots but the fact is, they learn the same thing and are taught in the same way even though griottes tend to learn more from women.

That said and done, it is evident that griots hold an unmatched place in the West African tradition. They help keep alive the West Africa culture for the sake of generations to come.

Sources: Bucknell/Encyclopedia Britannica/African History

Africa Global News Publication