0 in parts of West Africa, someone who passes on their society's history, especially through stories, poems, and music, and who takes part in ceremonies such as weddings and funerals
But as we will see the griot is also popularly seen as a servant of power-holders.
There are no indigenous professional ' historians ' like the griots, not least because there were no central political institutions that needed to be legitimated through history.
The griot addresses members of the traditional aristocracy, who reply by offering gifts to the griot.
She makes an excellent case for the centrality of griots and smiths based on their critical skills and knowledge and the relatively greater amount of source material on them.
The people would also gather in kaiso tents where a griot or lead singer would lead them in song.
The epic is an instance of oral history, going back to the 14th century and narrated by generations of griot poets or "jeliw" ("djeli").
In the past, music has been the main "fort" of one social group, the "griot" (village entertainers).
The head griot would offer them a beverage that they must drink.
