Daniel Garber speaks with musicians Volker Goetze and Ablaye Cissoko about Volker’s new documentary GRIOT
In West Africa — in countries like Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinee, Niger, and parts of Nigeria —
every village traditionally had a town speaker or storyteller. They announce special occasions like births, weddings, and even wars and battles. They tell fables and tales, parables and jokes, lore that was passed on from generation to generation.
every village traditionally had a town speaker or storyteller. They announce special occasions like births, weddings, and even wars and battles. They tell fables and tales, parables and jokes, lore that was passed on from generation to generation.
The storyteller is known as the griot (or griotte) and is the subject of a new documentary. It looks at the
griot in Senegal, including Ablaye Cissoko, a hereditary griot and a musician who plays the kora.

Griot is both a fascinating subject and a beautifully musical film to look at and listen to.
I speak with director/musician Volker Goetze and griot/musician Ablaye Cissoko about the role of the griot (Volker provides the translations). The film opens today, as does their musical tour of Canada.
[…] I speak with musicians Volker Goetze and Ablaye Cissoko about Volker’s new documentary GR… […]
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