Colonial Policy Towards Griots:
Prior to the colonial era griots fulfilled many important
functions in the Mande royal courts, acting variously as
musician, historian, translator, teacher, and ambassador for
the ruler and his family. Colonialism, however, would bring
great changes to the Mande world. Once their territories had
been established in the region, the French asserted their
authority by removing the title of “king”, or mansa, and
replacing it with “chief”. In order to
enforce direct rule the French colonial authorities only
recognised those who had been empowered as chiefs, and they
paid these appointed rulers a wage as they would a civil
servant. The effect of this action was twofold - to deprive
the Mande rulers of a significant proportion of their income
and to distance the ruling families from the general
population.
Formerly, the Mande rulers had sustained their
administrations through taxes paid by their constituents.
The imposition of colonial governance meant that this form
of revenue collection was abolished, and the Mande leaders
were now dependent upon their colonial masters for a
significant portion of their income. Moreover, the “chiefs”
of these newly created administrative precincts, or
prefectures, were often chosen with complete disregard for
their ancestry. Any ties to the traditional rulers were
overlooked, and could be counter-productive. Chiefs were
instead selected on the basis of a broad set of criteria.
Those eligible included civil servants with a good record of
performance, soldiers of outstanding merit, and “notable
natives, literate if possible, who have rendered services to
the French cause”. Many of these new chiefs did not
represent traditional authority, and they lacked the
allegiance and respect of their constituents. Some chiefs
were regarded by their subjects as functionaries, mere
spokesman for the colonialists.
Such a degradation constituted a significant demotion for the
traditional rulers of the Mande. Customary practices were
further fractured by the colonial policy of favouring chiefs
from specific ethnic groups while demoting others. This
practice was designed to inculcate ethnic tensions in the
region, and it further undermined the political hegemony of
the former empire of Mali.
France’s colonial policy of disenfranchising the authority
of the traditional rulers was widely practiced. It was
augmented by the introduction of other punitive laws,
notably the division of territories into new administrative
precincts, the borders of which failed to correspond with
pre-existing political boundaries. This had a deleterious
effect, for it succeeded in creating divisions and
heightening tensions between ethnic groups in the region.
These erosions of the socio-political structures had a
profound influence on the livelihoods of the griots. Before
the imposition of colonial rule a griot’s family was
supported by a patron or a network of patrons, and the
griot’s sole task was to fulfil their traditional
obligations. They would specialise in the narratives
pertaining to the noble families to which they had formed
and cemented good relations. They were not expected to do
any other work, besides that which was
required from them at ceremonies such as weddings, naming
days, and other important occasions. Before colonial rule,
the griot held an esteemed post alongside his leader whether
he be a chief or emperor and served as his historian, poet,
genealogist, praiser, entertainer, and counsellor in matters
both private and public.
With the imposition of colonial laws, however, the Mande
nobility had been demoted and forced into a position where
they were unable to afford the services of their griots. The griots found themselves tied to
patrons who could no longer support them. This presented
many griots with difficult and stark choices. Whereas a
griot’s whole family may have been supported by a noble,
sometimes on a permanent basis, the loss of income meant
that many griots had to seek new patrons and impose less on
those that they already had. This affected all aspects of jeliya,
the artistry of the griots. It meant that griots had to
travel for much longer periods, often without their families
who had remained behind to farm. The breakdown of
traditional patronage led to a change in the repertoire, as
the griot could no longer specialize on the genealogies of
their patrons and the associated narratives. As they sought
new patrons throughout the countryside, their essentially
historical art was augmented by topical narratives and
songs, and their role became more akin to that of an
entertainer. An increased role was found for instrumental
music, in addition to material of a more contemporary
nature.
Though a large percentage of a griot’s repertoire still
described heroic endeavours and the histories of old Mali,
these were now supplemented by topical narratives,
instrumental music, and popular songs.
The griot’s value as repository of
shared local knowledge and as an historian became less
important to his new patrons than
the melodious tunes and songs. Tunes with pertaining
to moral conduct and values were no longer held in such high
esteem.
The colonial administrations also exploited the region
economically. This was characterised by the introduction of
cash crops, such as peanuts, and the farming of bananas. The
export economy was focused on the capital city ports, and
extended into the interior barely a few miles either side of
the railway lines. Nevertheless, the
increase in commerce and trade in the region saw new social
classes emerge in Mande societies. Some scholars assert
that these new classes were largely uninterested in the
griots’ art. In response, griots discovered that the style
of “melodious songs” accommodated the tastes of a broad
cross section of Mande society, and by performing this kind
of material they could provide their families with income.
Griots’ livelihoods were further affected by colonial
rule via the imposition of a monetary economy. Historically,
griots’ performances earned them rewards which were
expressed in a variety of forms. Gifts of cloth, livestock,
or housing were most common, though slaves were also offered. Gold was given, too, though few members of
the nobility could afford to reward a griot so generously.
With the introduction of a cash economy these traditional
forms of recompense diminished greatly and were replaced by
currency. The chiefs who were installed by the French
received a salary, and from this they contributed what they
could for the services of their griots. A capitalist model
had been installed in West Africa, the consequences of which
were far reaching.
Migration to urban centres was another critical factor which
resulted from colonial policies. A broad westerly migration
from Guinea and Mali to the Casamance region in Senegal
occurred, as new towns and trade routes became established.
The musicians who migrated from rural areas brought with
them their distinctive regional musical styles, which in
turn influenced the local musical traditions. Furthermore, many young griots sought employment in the
towns and cities, abandoning their rural way of life.
Their absences at home placed a greater burden on their
elders, who had to spend more time on agriculture than on
practising their craft. During the summer months, when
farming was not as intense, some griots became itinerant
freelancers, performing for whatever patron they could find,
and they travelled the countryside in search of the support
that was their mainstay. These prolonged journeys
contributed to a breakdown in the hereditary aspect of their
tradition, with the resulting loss of direct transmission,
from parent to child, having a serious impact on their
profession.
Griots
 Part
1
2
3
4 5
6
|
|
(with free downloads)
