Sundiata

1 .Who are the GRIOTS and what was their role in the History of ancient Mali The word griot ' now means just singer ' or music seller however , historically this word meant a person recoding history , laws and customs . Griots were a kind of public servants , culture keepers who passed historical experience from generation to generation being "repositories which harbour secrets many centuries old . Very roughly the griots can be compared to Celtic bards , although the functions of griots appear to be much broader , inclding public service where they actually occupied various influential

positions like historians archivists and king 's advisors , while "officially " staying just singers The griots were people addicted to music which was their occupation their way of life and their method for conservation and transfer of information in a form of songs and anthems , as well as a mistical experience tying them to the upper world "The griot always has a weakness for music , for music is the griot 's soul , thus says the text of "Sundiata

Many of the griots lived at the court of the Malian kings and performed their services as government officials . The text of the Sundiata includes a direct explanation of functions performed by griots : Every king wants to have a singer to perpetuate his memory , for it is the griot who rescues the memories of kings from oblivion , as men have short memories . And indeed every influential ruler including King Maghan Kon Fatta had their own griots . The griots even had their...