Griots and Griottes
Masters of Words and Music
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Indiana University Press
Published:31st Jul '07
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
A comprehensive guide to the music and verbal artistry of West Africa's griots
Alex Haley's "Roots" introduced griots to the world outside of West Africa and generated an enormous amount of interest in their profession. This work is a comprehensive portrait of the world of this uniquely African profession, starting with their discovery by the outside world in 1352 by a North African traveller, Ibn Battuta.
Griots, a uniquely African profession, fulfill a variety of roles as genealogists, historians, spokespersons, diplomats, musicians, teachers, praise singers, and advisors. Telling the story of these remarkable wordsmiths and performers, Thomas A. Hale addresses the nature of their verbal and musical art, the role of female griots, or griottes, how griots and griottes fit into their societies, and what their future might be in Africa and the rest of the world.
Thomas A. Hale's clearly written, informative work is a comprehensive historical and contemporary account of the griot phenomenon, which originated in West Africa. ...It is, in its entirety, of benefit to a variety of researchers from fields as diverse as history, music, anthropology and sociology, linguistics and literature.Volume 11.2 & 3, Spring 2010
* African Studies Quarterly *Hale . . . provides here an encyclopedic introduction to and overview of this ubiquitous and important West African figure. . . . a valuable addition to the literature on both African societies and the African Diaspora. Upper-division undergraduates and above.October 1999
* Choice *[An] encyclopedic introduction to and overview of this ubiquitous and important West African figure . . . . [A] valuable addition to the literature on both African societies and the African Diaspora.
* Choice *[Reveals] griots to be much more complex and multifaceted social agents than previously understood.
* African Arts *[Puts] the study of West African oral tradition on a higher level.
* International Journal of African Historical Studies *Hale's magnum opus is an invaluable reference for scholars in religious studies, history, music, anthropology, linguistics, and literature.
* Religious Studies ReviISBN: 9780253219619
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 676g
432 pages