Introduction:
Praise singing and the performance of epic narratives
constitute the greater part of a griot’s repertoire, yet
their role in Mande society includes many other important
functions. From the descriptions given here of the roles of a griot one
could assume that as the retainers of their culture's
history, as the genealogists of their society, as the master
of ceremonies at significant events in Mande life, and as the
court musicians and the voice of kings, a griot would command
considerable respect. Yet, as will be demonstrated, such is
the social status of a griot that they are widely considered
as the occupants of a low position on the social ladder. Such
a contradiction requires their roles to be re-examined and
contextualised within the framework of Mande society.
As members of the artisan caste, the Nyamakala, a griot’s
livelihood involves the manipulation and creation of
particular forces. Nyamakalaw, those who are members of the
Nyamakala, create objects from raw materials, and their
creations often serve a religious function. Blacksmiths, for
example, forge metals from raw elements and produce carvings
from wood. Their creations serve a variety of functions, some
of which are for religious or sacred purposes. They alone
have the power to imbue their work with a spiritual force
that is known as nyama. Nyama’s spiritual power is considered
to be potentially dangerous, and it is believed that it has
the potency to kill an ordinary mortal. It can also deliver
fertility, a successful harvest, or protect against harmful
forces. In the case of the griots it is their words and music
which are imbued with nyama. Charles Bird, in Poetry in the
Mande: Its form and meaning, notes that the songs that the
bards sing and the instruments that they play have a nyama
which if performed by an ordinary man would destroy him. The
bards are protected against the forces they release by their
heritage.
Of a griot’s varied performance roles it is during praise
singing that nyama becomes truly formidable. In the
performance of a praise song a griot can skilfully combine
their intimate knowledge of genealogies and history with
their mastery of musical instruments to create a heady
atmosphere. A griot’s words during praise singing are
regarded as being dangerously persuasive, leading to an
attitude towards them that is best described as ambivalent:
Gifts to griots during the performance of a praise song
can be extraordinarily generous, far in excess of what an
average person can afford. There have been many recorded
examples where a patron’s hand is shaking as they hand over
the equivalent of several day’s wages (or more) to a griot
during a performance. Such are the forces that a musician can
summon that there is an oft-used phrase, “ka nyama bo”, or
“please take away the nyama”, which a patron uses when giving
a gift. The phrase lessens the power which
the griot’s words have conveyed. Giving generously also enhances the patron’s social
standing, for acts of generosity not only elicit effusive
praise from the griots but serve as an indication of the
patron’s wealth.
While griots are capable of evoking awe, performances by
them elicit a wide range of emotions. A griot aims to inspire
their audience through evocations of the past, and during
praise songs and other performances they can induce
heightened passions and emotional responses from the
audience. As the feats of their patron’s ancestors are
declaimed in an eloquent and poetic manner for all to hear, a
great sense of pride is instilled, and it is common for
individual members of the audience to dance, typically when
the life of an ancestor is being praised. Praise songs are
joyous occasions, and a griot is rewarded, sometimes
handsomely, for their artistry.
A good deal of antagonism towards griots, however,
resides in their perceived tendency to demand extravagant
recompense for their praise singing. In the colonial era, as
will be explained in page 5, rewards to griots for their
performances became a bitter source of contention and had a
deleterious affect on their social standing.
The griots' unique social status is not confined to their
performance practices but extends also to their burial
customs. In former times, upon their death, a griot was not
permitted a burial in the ground alongside their fellow
citizens. Rather, their body was placed inside the hollow
trunk of a Baobab tree. The reasons for this custom, which
was practiced until at least the 1950s, are obscure. Until
recently, it was thought that it indicated a low status.
Current research, however, suggests that it
was likely due to the griots’ considerable powers and their
control of nyama, which could be released from their bodies
to taint the earth of the graveyard. In modern Mande
societies the death of a famous griot warrants a state
occasion, with senior figures in the government and community
acknowledging the talents of the artist. Griots are
responsible for the composition of several West African
national anthems, yet they are also discriminated upon and
regarded as lazy. Such ambiguities became
focused during the colonial era.
Griots
 Part
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