griotic tradition

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the cultural and professional system of the griot — known as jeli in Mande, gewel in Wolof, and by other names across the Sahel — a hereditary caste of oral historians, musicians, genealogists, and praise-singers who serve as the living memory of West African kingdoms, families, and communities; griots preserve and recite dynastic histories, praises of rulers and warriors, and the genealogies of noble families, transmitting this knowledge through apprenticeship from parent to child across many generations; they are also musicians who master instruments such as the kora, balafon, and ngoni, and their performances blend historical recitation with musical artistry; the griotic tradition has profoundly shaped West African popular music and has been recognised by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of the Mande world