This is a daft, or rather draft version of a review as submitted to and published in Dirty Linen Magazine.
GRIOTS AND GRIOTTES
by Thomas A. Hale
Indiana University Press ISBN 0-253-33458-6 (1998); $35.00
In the West African savanna and sahel, "griot" is a French-derived term for the ancient hereditary occupational class of professional "wordsmiths." Known in various sub-Saharan languages by words such as "gawal" or "jali" (the author includes a ten page linguistic appendix on "griot" and "jali"-related terms), griots and the female equivalent "griottes" traditionally have acted as genealogists, praise-singers, negotiators, historians, and translators, but it is a changing world.
Music is a subsidiary but intergral part of their work, and hence their lives are often totally centered around music. (Female) griottes are tradionally singers and play for the most part the harplike <it>ardin<it>. In performances and recordings here or in Europe, one is most likely to hear (male) griots, for instance Dembo Konte, playing <it>kora<it>, but back home in Africa, the most popular instrument is the less flashy lute.
Hall is a literature professor at Penn State with extensive research experience in Senegal, Mali and The Gambia. "Griots and Griottes" centers on the pervasive role of the griot(te) in both traditional and modern subsaharan and now global Society. The book also describes the extensive training process, discusses the substantial and chronically undervalued role of the female griotte (my impression is that Hall also discusses women secondarily...note the title!) and gives short translated exerpts of griot(te) genealogies, praise-songs, and epics. The music and instruments played by the griot(es) is described rather briefly in one chapter and Hall refers the reader to another text for more technical information. There is a three page discographic appendix.
"Griots and Griottes" functions as both a fairly inclusive scholarly clearinghouse on West African musical traditions and as a readable book for music consumers. I suspect that there are, as always, views and news not covered by the book, but as a "consumer" of African music, I found it easy to read and filled with interesting and eye-opening information. One of the best features is Hall's ability to portray Africans as "people like us," which is always an eye-opener.
--Judith Gennett (Bryan, TX)