Dec 20, 2009

Sundiata | Style

The story of Sundiata has been handed through generations of griots. These oral historians form their own caste, and they alone are authorized to tell the history that has been entrusted to them by their forefathers. The griot Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate, who recounted the version of Sundiata transcribed by D. T. Niane, claims descent from Sundiata's griot Balla Faseke.

Young people from this caste are screened for storytelling and other performance abilities and taught to sing or speak tales or play musical instruments. Women can also be griots. The spoken word is...