Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Hamburg, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references, discography, and filmography.

Tout au long de notre recherche, nous avons prouvé que le griot est celui qui parvient à remonter le cours du temps par la parole. Ce qui permet aux historiens de refaire l’histoire du continent africain restée longtemps dans l’oralité. Cette communication orale portée par le griot requiert un manque d’objectivité mais a tout de même une importance capitale dans la société africaine. Tout comme les médias rapportent des faits, le griot, grâce à sa maîtrise de la parole et par le truchement des éléments expressifs et les instruments de musique publie lui aussi les faits marquants sa cité et parvient ainsi à participer au processus démocratique de la Guinée. Prenant de plus en plus en charge le commentaire politique, le griot marie l’histoire pour produire de l’idéologie, en établissant une continuité historique conforme au présent. Le griot n’hésite pas à s’inclure dans la peau des personnages, à louanger les promesses du chef pour lequel il travaille. Exactement comme le font les médias africains qui ont eux aussi tendance à louanger les acteurs politiques. L’humour du griot dans les critiques faites contre les politiques, contribue au processus démocratique. Mais la conception de la liberté des médias, est un objectif à atteindre en Afrique, pour aider son développement durable. Force est de reconnaître que le concept de la liberté des médias est constitutionnalisé en Guinée et au Bénin, dans le but d’une perspective de volonté de changement de la culture des médias mais n’est pas totalement garantie. Au Bénin comme en Guinée, la crainte est toujours palpable chez les citoyens qui veulent faire valoir leurs droits. Surtout le Bénin qui se veut un modèle et qui avait suscité l’admiration des grandes démocraties entre 1990 et 2006 et fait des émules partout en Afrique est tombé de son piédestal. Malgré une relative longue pratique de la démocratie libérale et pluraliste, des inquiétudes pèsent sur l’évolution de la vie politique et des médias dans ces pays. Les manifestations pacifiques organisées pour dénoncer les dérives du pouvoir et exiger le respect des libertés démocratiques, sont violemment dispersées par les forces de l’ordre. Sur des dossiers sensibles, les citoyens ont peur de s’exprimer. Même rassurés, ils craignent des représailles des forces de l’ordre / Throughout our research, we proved that the griot is the one who manages to travel back in time through speech. This allows historians to rewrite the history of the African continent remained long in orality. This oral communication carried by the griot requires a lack of objectivity but still has major importance in African society. Just as the media report the facts, the griot, thanks to his mastery of speech and through expressive elements and musical instruments published also highlights his city and thus able to participate in the democratic process in Guinea. Taking more care of political commentary, the griot marries history to produce ideology, establishing a historical continuity in conformity with this. The griot does not hesitate to include in the skin of the characters, to praise the chef's promises for which he works. Exactly as do African media also tend to praise the political actors. The humor of the griot in criticism against the policies, contributes to the democratic process. But the concept of media freedom is a goal in Africa, to help its sustainable development. We must recognize that the concept of media freedom is constitutionalized in Guinea and Benin, to a change of perspective of the culture of media will but is not completely guaranteed. In Benin, as in Guinea, the fear is still palpable among citizens who want to exercise their rights. Especially the Benin which wants a model and had the admiration of the great democracies between 1990 and 2006 is emulated across Africa has fallen from its pedestal. Despite relative long practice of liberal and pluralist democracy, concerns weigh on the evolution of politics and media in those countries. The peaceful demonstrations to denounce the abuses of power and demand respect for democratic freedoms were violently dispersed by security forces. On sensitive issues, citizens are afraid to express themselves. Even reassured, they fear reprisals from security forces.

<p>The aim of this research is to find out more about traditional music in Gambian society, to get a wider view of the tradition and what is happening to traditional music in a modern society. Furthermore, I want to find out if the informers consider that the traditional music is fading away from the society and if, in that case, any actions are being taken to preserve the tradition. The research question is: How do the traditional masters in the Gambia consider the role of traditional musicians in a modern society?</p><p> </p><p>The research method consists of making observations at Maali’s Music School and in the E.C.C.O cultural camps in Njawara and Berefet, and interviews with traditional masters of different tribes. <strong></strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The results of the interviews show that the informers consider that the traditional music is ‘fading away’ from the society, that the role of traditional music in the society is changing and that there is no great support or protection for traditional music in the Gambia. Documentation of the music and interviews made by researchers from abroad often ends up in Europe and is seldom returned back to the informers. With regard to things that could be done to keep traditional music alive, the informers give the examples of building schools for teaching the tradition, teaching traditional songs in the ordinary schools and finding places for traditional masters to gather, where they can discuss, teach and play together.</p>

The aim of this research is to find out more about traditional music in Gambian society, to get a wider view of the tradition and what is happening to traditional music in a modern society. Furthermore, I want to find out if the informers consider that the traditional music is fading away from the society and if, in that case, any actions are being taken to preserve the tradition. The research question is: How do the traditional masters in the Gambia consider the role of traditional musicians in a modern society?   The research method consists of making observations at Maali’s Music School and in the E.C.C.O cultural camps in Njawara and Berefet, and interviews with traditional masters of different tribes.   The results of the interviews show that the informers consider that the traditional music is ‘fading away’ from the society, that the role of traditional music in the society is changing and that there is no great support or protection for traditional music in the Gambia. Documentation of the music and interviews made by researchers from abroad often ends up in Europe and is seldom returned back to the informers. With regard to things that could be done to keep traditional music alive, the informers give the examples of building schools for teaching the tradition, teaching traditional songs in the ordinary schools and finding places for traditional masters to gather, where they can discuss, teach and play together.

Guelwaar, à l’opposé des autres œuvres de Sembène Ousmane – dont les films sont tirés de nouvelles et de romans- a suivi le sens inverse du schéma classique de l’adaptation en ce qu’il est un film devenu roman. Une telle particularité fait que notre travail suit deux parcours : de l’écrit à l’écran et de l’écran à l’écrit. La fonction narrative de Sembène qui représente dans l’écriture l’art du conte africain constitue le point commun entre un bon nombre de travaux sur l’œuvre littéraire et filmique de Sembène Ousmane. A partant du narratif pris en charge par le « griot-conteur », notre étude tient à montrer que le langage de l’œuvre de Sembène n’est pas seulement narratif, il est aussi « monstratif » et surtout visuel, lequel langage occupe une part importante dans la lecture du livre et du film de Sembène Ousmane. / Guelwaar, contrary to other works of Sembène Ousmane - Films of which are pulled by news and by novels, followed the inverse sense of the classic plan of the adaptation in the fact that it is a film become novel. Such a peculiarity makes that our work follows two courses: of the paper in the screen and the screen to the paper.The narrative function of Sembène which represents in the writing the art of the African tale constitutes the common point enter a good many of works on the literary and cinematic work of Sembène Ousmane. In leaving of narrative taken care by the "griot-storyteller", our study is anxious to show that the language of the work of Sembène is not only narrative,He is also " monstratif " and especially visual, who language occupies an important part in the reading of the book and the film of Sembène Ousmane.

My thesis examines the figure of the griot in five films of the Senegalese writer and film director, Ousmane Sembène, widely considered to be the "Father of African Cinema." I reevaluate the figure of the griot in Sembène‟s works from the vital place played by history. I focus on the use of the griot by Sembène to rewrite sub-Saharan African history. I compare Sembène‟s representation of history with the modern historical criteria laid out by Paul Ricoeur, Michel de Certeau and Pierre Nora. The central claim of my dissertation is that the griot should be contextualized as a historical figure that interprets memory and influences the perception of the past rather than as a mere literary and cinematic device. Current scholarship on Sembène privileges the Western interpretation of the griot, that is, the narrative aspect-the storyteller-over the more nuanced position the griot traditionally holds in West African societies. In an oral traditional culture, the griot holds a place of honor and power because of his role as a chronicler, storyteller, educator, advisor, spokesperson, historian, genealogist and guardian of traditions, history and culture. The griot knew the history of the kingdom, its foundation and the various ethnicities and communities which constituted it, as well as the history of each group. As the living receptacle of history, he had the ability to shape and influence the memories of his community, and its perception of the past. The historical aspect of the griot figure provides an unparalleled opportunity to free Sembène works from classical themes such as Marxism, Panafricanism and the father of African cinemas as well as to contribute to the debate between history and memory from a West African perspective. In order to analyze the representation of history through the figure of the griot in Sembene‟s films, I have chosen to study five films of Sembène: Black Girl (1966), Emitai (1971), Ceddo (1977), Guelwaar (1992), and Camp de Thiaroye (1987) which depict distinct periods (pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial) in West African history.

[pt] Os griots são, na África Ocidental, os guardiões da memória. Numa sociedade baseada na oralidade, são eles os responsáveis por manter viva sua história e tradição. São os mestres das palavras e suas narrativas se fazem do encontro entre palavra, música e movimento. Na tradição oral africana, a multiplicidade é a forma de se relacionar com o saber. Esta dissertação é uma forma de aproximação da multiplicidade do mundo, de outras margens, e tem como objetivo refletir sobre uma poética do griot, sua performance, corpo, voz, memória e palavra - falada ou cantada. Além disso, este trabalho propõe uma reflexão sobre o outro como diferença, e a diferença como uma possibilidade de ampliação de nosso próprio entendimento, de nossa organização ética e estética. / [en] In Western Africa, griots are the guardians of memory. In a society based on orality, they are responsible for maintaining alive its history and tradition. They are masters of the spoken word and their narratives are based on the convergence between word, music and movement. Multiplicity, in the African oral tradition, is the way of conveying knowledge. The following dissertation is an effort to converge the multiplicity of the world, from other shores, and has as a goal to reflect about the poetics of griot, its performance, body, voice, memory and words – spoken or sung. Furthermore, this effort proposes a reflection on the difference of the “other” and of difference as a possibility of broadening our own understanding, of our organization, ethics and aesthetics.

Cette thèse a pour objet la variabilité dans la réécriture de quatre versions de l’épopée mandingue. En se référant à la comparaison différentielle initiée par Ute Heidmann (2005) qui défend une approche des textes non-hiérarchisant, cette thèse se propose de mettre en évidence les indices de variabilité dans la diversité de leurs formes textuelles. Ceux-ci sont générés par différentes sources énonciatives dont notamment la figure du griot qui représente différemment les personnages, la description de certains faits historiques et de la nature, mettant en scène selon son gré des joutes oratoires. Enfin, les indices de variabilité concernent les différentes éditions du même texte patrimonial de la littérature mandingue. Sur la base du corpus, cette étude explore les variables qui constituent des lieux de mouvance du texte induisant des glissements de sens dus parfois à la rivalité entre griots, auteurs des performances. / This thesis is to variability in rewriting four versions of the Mandingo epic. By referring to comparison differential initiated by Ute Heidmann (2005) who defend an approach to no-hierachizing texts, this thesis proposes to put an evidence variability indices in the diversity of their textual forms. These are generated by different enunciative sources including the figure of the griot representing different characters, the description of some historical facts and nature, featuring as it sees fit cut and thrust. Finally, the variability indices refer to the different editions of the same text of the Mandinka heritage literature. Based on the corpus, this study explores the variables that represent editorial movement places inducing shifts in meaning sometimes due the rivalry between the griots, authors of the performance.

This dissertation takes the approach of a qualitative case study whose primary subject is Alhaji Papa Susso, a distinct and compelling representative of griot culture, who was born in The Gambia, but who now resides in the U.S., yet maintains his griot identity. The findings from this research provide evidence that the griot, in his quest to support himself abroad while honoring the traditions of his heritage, is actively participating in the purposeful dissemination of griot culture in the U.S. and beyond. Though he may be cultivating genuine interest in his skills and in the oral canon of histories and epic tales that he maintains, he cannot control reception and appropriation of his culture. Further, the findings suggest there is a crosscutting backlash where the influence of technology is concerned, in that, while it provides a means for recording and preserving the griot’s performative art, it also distracts West African youth and diminishes their interest in acquiring and maintaining the tools and instrumentation of their caste-born heritage. The main conclusions drawn from this study suggest the griot feels compelled in many ways to spread his culture beyond the limits of his original, regional seat in order to preserve and promote it, but in doing so, he is changing his culture, and exposing it to audiences who are not sufficiently encultured to apprehend fully its depth and meaning. Furthermore, technology may be a useful tool in preserving the griot’s art in West Africa and abroad, but the static nature of recording robs the griot’s performance of its dynamic, flexible and culturally reflective power. Ultimately, it is the goal of this dissertation to actualize Stake’s (1995) assertion that “the function of research is not necessarily to map and conquer the world but to sophisticate the beholding of it” (p. 43); it is the goal of this dissertation to illuminate and understand, to bear careful witness to a facet of cultural expansion, to a contemporary phenomenon, to a particular, unique and valuable human experience.

A pesquisa apresentada nesta Dissertação de Mestrado investiga o modo de produção de novos Griot’s, a partir de atividades afrocentradas, realizadas com crianças participantes das Oficinas “Semeando a História”, na ONG AfroSul/Òḍ óṃ ọdé, na cidade de Porto Alegre/RS. Através da perspectiva com uma inspiração pós-estruturalista e da metodologia de pesquisas com crianças, concebi-as como parceiras nesta pesquisa, buscando seus aceites expressos em palavras e atitudes, bem como dos Griot’s e demais participantes do local. Investigo como os modos de ser Griot influi diretamente nas atividades, nos discursos, nas relações entre as crianças, e destas com os adultos, subjetivando-as num modo de ser criança e de viver suas infâncias diferenciado e afrocentrado. Discuto os diferentes modos de ser criança ao longo da história e como a formação étnico-cultural da população brasileira fundamenta tais diferenças e as caracteriza. Constituo o modo de ser afro-gaúcho, um afrobrasileiro produzido a partir da convivência e das relações instituídas no espaço geográfico do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, a partir das diferentes etnias historicamente aqui residentes Evidencio as diversas atividades propostas às crianças, a partir das conversas, de uma oralidade basilar, que entremeia as propostas, e materializa as aprendizagens em outras formas de representações. Nestas infâncias múltiplas, e suas contribuições na produção destes novos sujeitos, crianças que percebem o mundo em sua diversidade e multiplicidade cultural e étnicorracial, encerra-se o desejo de ampliação das ações pensadas e planejadas para a manutenção das culturas ancestrais negro-africanas, afrobrasileiras e afro-gaúchas, potencializando a continuidade das tradições, em especial, da tradição dos Mestres dos Saberes e da Pedagogia Griot. Relato esta experiência vivida a partir de minhas experiências em família afrocentrada, num modo de ser partícipe da aprendizagem neste espaço de Pesquisa, num processo holístico da construção deste relato de si e do outro que estes Mestres dos Saberes utilizam para ensinar. / The research presented in this Master's Dissertation investigates the Griot's new mode of production, from african-centred activities carried out with children participated in the workshops "Sowing History" in AfroSul/Ọdọmọdé NGO in the city of Porto Alegre / RS. Through the perspective with a poststructuralist inspiration and research methodology with children, conceived them as partners in this research, seeking their accepted expressed in words and actions, as well as the Griot's and other participants of the site. Investigate how the ways of being Griot directly influences the activities, in speeches, in relations between the children, and those with adults, subjectively them in a way to be a child and to live their differentiated and african-centred childhoods. Discuss the different ways of being child throughout history and how the ethnic and cultural background of the population bases such differences and features Consisting how to be african-gaucho, one Afro-Brazilian produced from living and relationships established in the geographical area of the Rio Grande do Sul state, from different ethnic groups historically living here. Made evident the various activities proposed to children from the conversation, a basic orality, which intersperses the proposals, and the learning embodied in other forms of representations. These multiple childhoods, and their contributions to the production of these new subjects, children who perceive the world in its diversity and cultural and étnicorracial multiplicity, closes the desire for expansion of thought and planned actions for the maintenance of black-African ancestral cultures, Afrobrazilian and african-gaucho, enhancing the continuity of traditions, in particular the tradition of the Masters of Knowledge and Griot Education. Report this lived experience from my experiences in afrocentrada family, a way of being a participant of learning in this search space, a holistic process of building this story of self and other that these Masters of Knowledge use to teach.