griot
noun
gri·ot ˈgrē-ˌō 
: any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies
broadly : storyteller
Did you know?
An African tribal storyteller and musician is called a griot. The griot’s role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe. They were usually among the oldest men in a tribe. In places where written language is the privilege of the few, the place of the griot as cultural guardian is still maintained. In Senegal, for example, the griot—without resorting to fantasy—recites poems or tells stories of warriors, drawing on his own sources of inspiration.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Lucas was a bridge to the past and a griot of the Black community that held a university of knowledge. 
Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2022 So do Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell—and so does Boubacar Traoré, a Malian griot whose personal influence on Frisell has been substantial. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 Fujiie lives and works with Maboudou Sanou, a griot, and his family in a modest home in a community on the outskirts of Ouagadougou. Clair Macdougall, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2022 Questlove is nothing short of what West Africans call a griot; a lyricist, musician, keeper and an orator of history. Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2021 Those in the crowd on Wednesday night included Davis; the museum's griot, or storyteller, Reggie Jackson; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; and Ald. La Risa R. Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2021 Kilomba, who is of West African descent, describes her role in the film as that of a griot, a storyteller of the African oral tradition, while an ensemble of Black actors dance and mime, silently acting out the tales. New York Times, 8 July 2021 Director Sheri Williams Pannell also served as onstage griot (and occasional sixth singer). Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 June 2021 These scenes are framed by interjections from a griot, or traditional Black storyteller. Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2021 See More
Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2022 So do Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell—and so does Boubacar Traoré, a Malian griot whose personal influence on Frisell has been substantial. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 Fujiie lives and works with Maboudou Sanou, a griot, and his family in a modest home in a community on the outskirts of Ouagadougou. Clair Macdougall, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2022 Questlove is nothing short of what West Africans call a griot; a lyricist, musician, keeper and an orator of history. Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2021 Those in the crowd on Wednesday night included Davis; the museum's griot, or storyteller, Reggie Jackson; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; and Ald. La Risa R. Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2021 Kilomba, who is of West African descent, describes her role in the film as that of a griot, a storyteller of the African oral tradition, while an ensemble of Black actors dance and mime, silently acting out the tales. New York Times, 8 July 2021 Director Sheri Williams Pannell also served as onstage griot (and occasional sixth singer). Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 June 2021 These scenes are framed by interjections from a griot, or traditional Black storyteller. Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
French
First Known Use
1820, in the meaning defined above
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