Travelling Storytellers

Griots from West Africa courtesy enwikipedia.org 

Griots

West African bards of the fourteenth century, known as griots, were travellers who were known for entertaining through story, song and dance. Griots had the important role of preserving their people's history through storytelling, and also acted as advisors to nobility (Lott, 2002).  Today, the title of "griot" still exists, but roles are defined by the society of the region. Griots are still born into their roles; however, today, some opt out of the role. (Hale, 1997). Many griots continue to perform and have had an impact on different genres of music as they connect to the art of storytelling, including hip-hop and modern rock.

Courtesy lerapenfrance.fr

Troubadours, Minstrels and Bards

Professional storytellers of the Middle Ages also traveled among tribes, towns, and villages. These Celtic storytellers were known as troubadours, minstrels, or bards. The travelers performed much of their stories accompanied by music, which made them popular for the purpose of entertaining those of nobility, who would hire them to perform (Woodard, 2002). A majority of the troubadours' songs were ballads about love, religion, tragedy, and political agenda (Farmer, 2012).

The invention of the printing press around 1450 began to take the focus off of the oral tradition of storytelling, and was eventually followed by the invention of radio, recorded music, and television. While these inventions and discoveries may have temporarily shifted the focus from the oral tradition, the art of storytelling has evolved and remained over generations in different forms.  

Irish oral tradition was still preserved through bards in the 1600s. Songs, stories, and poems were used to retell and pass down history. When England defeated Ireland, England established military rule within Ireland. During this time, the Irish actively resisted the English. The Irish bards and storytellers played an active role in the resistance through reciting stories and singing songs that reached out to their fellow countrymen to rise up against the English (Holliday, 2004).

Hira Gasy

In Madagascar, during the 1700s, a form of musical storytelling called Hira Gasy, was being performed (Raveloson, 2012). King Andrianampoinimerina instructed musicians to travel from community to community, speaking the text of his speeches accompanied by music. The King’s intent was that the entertainment factor of the Hira Gasy would help spread his ideas to all his people. The Hira Gasy also featured dance moves and hand gestures with Asian martial art influences. Today, the Hira Gasy is still told in Madagascar, and usually depicts tales of love, political beliefs, morality, or philosophic thought (Raveloson, 2012).