 Way of
the Griot
by Harley Berger, Vice-President
In Western Africa the griot (pronounced gree-oh) is the
honored name bestowed on wise and knowledgeable storytellers entrusted
with the pivotal task of documenting tribal histories and genealogies.
They are learned bards, musicians and historians who recount cultural
stories through song. Often a griot will memorize the genealogy of
everyone in a village going back centuries. The author Alex Haley, while
researching "Roots," met with a griot in Gambia that had memorized the
history of the village of Juffure to a date two centuries in the past.
When he recounted the kidnapping and enslavement of Kunte Kinte, Haley's
great, great, great, great-grandfather, the griot provided the final link
to Haley's African ancestry.
Join us on Saturday, May 15 for a rare opportunity to see a presentation
and musical performance by Mady Kouyate
(pictured), a
Senegalese griot. Its been said that a griot's performance is witness to
the power of story and song and Mady's role as a griot carries on a
tradition going back 7,000 years. This will be a memorable evening-- one
you won't want to miss! |
