The word ‘griot’ means ‘djeli’ (‘blood’). A griot is described as being the blood that runs through the corporeal body – an essential and omniscient part – and the griot is the all-seeing, all-knowing eyes of society.

In West African society, the griots have been handing down their oral culture for over four thousand years, and like others, Mory Kanté inherited the tradition from the jalis of Mande. At the height of the Mande Empire, during the reign of Sundiate Keita in the thirteenth century, this African kingdom stretched from the Atlantic coast to the region of Goa.

A symbol of an oral culture, the griot is a learned storyteller, poet, entertainer, historian and troubadour. Stories and history are handed down by word-of-mouth through the griot caste and many griots have memorized family genealogy for several centuries. Griots accompany their stories with music and they are often musicians of exceptional skill. It takes them years to learn the vast repertoire of traditional songs, melodies and rhythms, and in the past, the role of a professional musician was reserved for griots, who spent many years fulfilling their training.

Although the position of the griots has diminished over the years, their role remains a respected and integral part of West African culture and history. Griots are still the strongest link to the past and they are able to recall events that have faded from popular memory.