In Mande-speaking West Africa, which stretches across Mali, Guinea, Senegal, the Gambia and neighbouring countries, memory is entrusted not to books but to the voice of a special category of people: the jeli, known in Europe by the French term griot. They are musicians, singers, genealogists, counsellors and mediators. Above all, they are the keepers of a word regarded as powerful, able to give shape to reality.
Who the jeli are
The jeli belong to a hereditary social group: one is born a jeli, one does not become one. Knowledge passes from father to son and mother to daughter, within families bearing well-known surnames such as Kouyaté, Diabaté, Sissoko and Kanouté. Among the Wolof of Senegal a similar figure is called géwël.
Traditionally, every noble family had its jeli, bound to it for generations. The jeli's task was:
- to preserve the family's genealogy and recall its deeds;
- to celebrate births, marriages and investitures;
- to advise leaders and act as spokesperson in negotiations;
- to mediate in conflicts, because their word was heeded by all sides.
Nyama: the power of the word
To understand the role of the jeli one must know the Mande concept of nyama. The term denotes a life force, an energy present in all things, in living beings, animals, plants and objects. Every action releases nyama, and those who handle it must know how to control it.
The jeli are part of the nyamakala, the groups of specialists who work with nyama: alongside them are blacksmiths and leatherworkers. The smith transforms iron, the tanner transforms hide; the jeli transforms the word. In this conception the word is not a mere means of communication: to praise someone, to recall their ancestors, to sing their deeds means awakening in them a force that drives them to act.
For this reason the jeli were both respected and feared. Their praise could raise a man up; their silence, or their criticism, could wound him deeply.
The instruments
The jeli's word is accompanied by music. The main instruments are:
| Instrument | Description |
|---|---|
| Kora | harp-lute with a large gourd body covered in hide and many strings |
| Balafon | xylophone of wooden keys with gourds as resonators |
| Ngoni | plucked lute, considered among the oldest instruments of the Mande world |
According to tradition, the oldest balafon, called the Sosso Bala, is still kept by the Kouyaté family in the village of Niagassola, in Guinea. It is played only on special occasions and is deeply venerated as a living relic of Mande history.
The Sunjata epic
The most important story entrusted to the jeli is the epic of Sunjata (or Sundiata) Keita, founder of the Mali empire in the thirteenth century. In its main lines the story tells of:
- Sunjata's birth to a king of the Manden and a woman of unattractive appearance but endowed with a mysterious power;
- his difficult childhood: the boy could not walk and was mocked by everyone;
- the day when, leaning on an iron bar forged by the smiths, he stood up;
- his exile, during which he grew in strength and wisdom;
- his return and victory over Sumanguru Kanté, the smith-king of Sosso, master of occult powers;
- the founding of the empire and the organisation of Mande society.
In this story the jeli play a leading role: Balla Fasséké Kouyaté, Sunjata's jeli, is regarded as the ancestor of today's Kouyaté. Even now, when a Kouyaté sings for a Keita, he renews a bond traced back eight centuries.
The epic has been transcribed in many versions. One of the best known was published in 1960 by the Guinean historian Djibril Tamsir Niane, gathered from the voice of the jeli Mamadou Kouyaté, and it introduced Sunjata's story to readers around the world.
History and truth
Historians regard the Sunjata epic as a valuable but particular source. It is not a chronicle in the modern sense: it is a narrative that transmits values, relationships between families and social foundations. The jeli themselves distinguish between public versions and reserved knowledge, passed on to only a few. The truth they guard is not only that of facts, but that of meaning.
The jeli today
The jeli tradition is alive and has adapted to the contemporary world. Many great West African musicians come from jeli families and have brought the kora and ancient songs to theatres and international recordings. At the same time, the jeli continue to play their role in family ceremonies, festivals and community life.
In short
- The jeli, or griots, are the hereditary keepers of memory and the word in the Mande world.
- They preserve genealogies, celebrate events, advise and mediate.
- Their word is tied to nyama, the life force that speech itself can awaken.
- Kora, balafon and ngoni accompany their song; the Sosso Bala is a living relic of the tradition.
- The epic of Sunjata Keita, founder of the Mali empire, is their most important story.
