„When the griot died, people said the library had burned”. Justyna Badji talks to Ablaye Badji about the Senegalese guardians of tradition

Abstract

The text is a record of the conversation with Ablaye Badji – a musician born in a Senegalese griot family, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist playing traditional instruments. The main
theme is griot –storyteller, musician, who cares for nurturing the oral tradition. The griots come from the areas of present Mali, Guinea and Senegal. They enjoy a special esteem in the society of West Africa, which they owe to wisdom and care for tradition and culture. The conversation also concerns the differences between the music of particular ethnic groups and the way of its reception, also outside of Africa.