What is a grio?

A griot (pronounced GREE-oh) is a West African hereditary storyteller, oral historian, musician, and praise singer who serves as a repository of oral tradition, genealogy, and cultural history. Originating in the 13th-century Mali Empire, griots are essential to preserving the history and traditions of their communities through spoken word, song, and instruments like the kora (a 21-string harp-lute), balafon, or ngoni.

What is the meaning of grio?

Definition of Grio or Griot: A valued storyteller tasked with maintaining a tradition of oral history, most prominent in parts of West Africa.

What is a griot in Africa?

A griot (GREE-oh) is a West African troubadour-historian, storyteller, poet, diplomat, or musician. Griots are revered among society, and some are considered divine healers, medicine men, or conduits between the living and the dead. The position is heredity and passed down from generation to generation.

What is the role of a griot?

A griot is a West African storyteller, singer, musician, and oral historian. They train to excel as orators, lyricists and musicians. The griot keeps records of all the births, deaths, marriages through the generations of the village or family.

Who is a modern day griot?

Griots are musicians, oral historians, praise-singers, genealogists, and storytellers found in West Africa. Today's musicians, poets, writers, artists, and actors who tell the stories of Blackness with our flavour are our modern-day griots.

The Grio(t), Explained

Do griots still exist today?

Present-day griots

Many griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the Mande peoples (Mandinka or Malinké, Bambara, Bwaba, Bobo, Sosso, Dyula, Soninke etc.), Fulɓe (Fula), Hausa, Songhai, Tukulóor, Wolof, Serer, Mossi, Dagomba, Mauritanian Arabs, and many other smaller groups.

What does grios mean?

grio is short for griot– an African storyteller. Griots and Bards– the European equivalent– were artists, mostly traveling poets and musicians, who served as guardians of traditions and bridges between generations.

What is a female griot called?

A female griot is referred to as a Jelimuso or Jalimuso (muso meaning “woman). The craft of the griot, Jaliyaa, is traditionally, passed down from father to son and mother to daughter. In the 13th Century West African Empire of Mali, griots served the royal families as advisors, tutors and diplomats.

Are there modern griot performers?

Tunde Jegede has been described as a 21st century renaissance man, a modern griot and the living embodiment of a cultural archive.

What is another name for a griot?

Griot—a borrowing from French—refers to an oral historian, musician, storyteller, and sometimes praise singer. (Griots are called by other names as well: jeli or jali in Mande and gewel in Wolof, for example).

What is a griot in Islam?

Griots hold the memory and history of a community. They are the storytellers, musicians and singers of songs of praise. They are the archives. They are the historians. They speak the history of our people.

What animal is griot?

Griot is usually made from pork shoulder. The meat is first washed then put in a mixture of citrus juices to add flavor. After being soaked in the citrus juices, the meat is marinated in epis, which is a mixture of Haitian herbs, vegetables, and spices. Next, the meat is either braised or roasted until tender.

What is a griot in English?

"Griot" (pronounced GREE-oh) is the French name given to the oral historians of West Africa. Traditionally griots travel from city to city and village to village as living newspapers, carrying in their heads an incredible store of local history and current events.

Can a woman be a griot?

Female griots or griottes have been ignored and unexplored in research on West Africa despite griottes being an important part of the regional history. Researchers who have worked in the field believe that the male-centered nature of the research and class considerations have led to the sidelining of the griottes.

What does grio stand for?

grio is short for griot– an African storyteller. Griots and Bards– the European equivalent– were artists, mostly traveling poets and musicians, who served as guardians of traditions and bridges between generations.

What is an example of a griot?

As well as being storytellers, they are poets, historians, genealogists, and musicians. Griots often accompany their stories and songs with music from instruments like the kora (a stringed instrument similar to a harp) or balafon (a kind of xylophone).

Can Kevin Costner sing and play guitar?

That's right, Kevin Costner Sings! He and his band Modern West have released five albums. Who knew this Academy Award winner could strum a guitar and croon about life with as much passion as he commands on screen; or some might say, even more?

What does grio mean in English?

'Grio' is a term that resonates with rich cultural significance, often linked to storytelling traditions in various African cultures. It embodies the role of a griot—an oral historian, storyteller, poet, or musician who preserves and shares the history and culture of their people through narrative art.

Who is the American singer with the gravelly voice?

Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, composer and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice.

What are female African warriors called?

In the Dahomeans' Fon language, they were called mino (“our mothers”) or ahosi (wives of the king). When Europeans first encountered the kingdom's women soldiers, they called them Amazons, after the women warriors of Greek mythology.

What is a jalis?

Jalis, or pierced screens, were used extensively in Indian architecture as windows, room dividers, and railings. In the course of the day, the movement of their patterns in silhouette across the floor would enhance the pleasure of their intricate geometry.

What African name means "strong girl"?

Amari: It's such a lyrical baby girl name and the meaning, “possesses great strength,” gives it extra cred.

What does gross 🤢 mean?

"Gross" (🤢) in slang means disgusting, repulsive, or extremely unpleasant, often used for things that are nasty, revolting, or make you feel sick, like spoiled food or a bad smell, but it also means extreme/obvious (a gross error) or total before deductions (gross income) in other contexts, although the emoji points to the disgust meaning.
 

What does "squidge" mean in the UK?

squidge in British English

(skwɪdʒ ) verb. informal. to squash or squeeze (something soft) or (of something soft) to become squashed. His little sister is quickly bored by television and begs me to 'do painting' or squidge some Play-Doh with her.

What does swotty mean in England?

swotty in British English

(ˈswɒtɪ ) adjectiveWord forms: -tier, -tiest. British informal. given to studying hard, esp to the exclusion of other activities.