A West African storyteller, musician, or historian who preserves and shares the oral traditions and history of their community.
From French 'griot,' borrowed from Wolof and other West African languages (possibly from Mandinka 'griyô'). The word entered European languages through colonial contact with African cultures in the 17th-18th centuries.
Griots are the keepers of history in West African cultures—before writing, they memorized entire family histories, genealogies, and cultural knowledge and performed them musically. In a way, they're like Wikipedia and Spotify combined!
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