Griots
West Africa's hereditary keepers of history, genealogy and music, known as jeli in the Mande languages.
- Region
- Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea and neighbouring countries
- Instruments
- Kora, balafon, ngoni
Living archives
Griots memorise and perform family lineages, royal histories and epics. The Epic of Sundiata, which tells the founding of the Mali Empire, has been passed down this way for centuries.
Music
The 21-string kora, the wooden balafon and the lute-like ngoni accompany their storytelling. Griot families continue to shape modern West African music.
Role in society
Griots have served as advisors, mediators and praise singers at weddings, naming ceremonies and political gatherings.