By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
The year is 2016, and the Guinean artiste, Sibo Bangoura, sits in front of a TEDxSydney crowd. He is playing a kora, a West African musical instrument. His Kora has the words Keyimba (his band name) written across. He is a Griot, and while he knows the crowd has no idea what that means, he tries his best to explain it. However, he doesn’t know that nine years later, a Griot will play the most significant role in one of the most discussed films of 2025— SINNERS.
SINNERS, BLUES, AND HOW ALL CROSSROADS LED TO WEST AFRICA:
SINNERS (2025), directed by Ryan Coogler, follows the tale of twin brothers and WWI vets who return to their Jim Crow South hometown and open a juke joint, hoping for a fresh start. Their dream is threatened by a sinister arrival and the community’s deep-seated racism, forcing them and their diverse group of friends to fight for survival against a supernatural evil.
In the first scene in SINNERS, the audience is told the story of the archetype of a musician whose skill transcends time, space and dimensions. The story acknowledges that this tale of a musician with the power to permeate earthly barriers is found in several folklores, and a notable mention was the West African tale of the Griot.
In the next scene, we are introduced to Sammie, a talented guitarist who plays the Blues. For a 2025 audience, the nuance of the stigma around the Blues might lie dormant in their minds, as they’ve experienced more socially rejected genres like rock, hip-hop, and jazz. But through the 1932 lens of the film, nothing is more insidious than Blues, a genre whose origins are rooted in enigma.
The most popular is the legend of Robert Johnson, which suggests that blues musicians, often facing hardship and a desire for musical talent, would meet the devil at a crossroads. In exchange for their souls, they would receive extraordinary musical ability.
However, this tale holds more truth than myth, as it acts as a metaphor for the origins of the Blues. Blues music is a genre and musical form that originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s by African Americans. It’s a deeply expressive form of music, and elements of it are rooted in the African folk-musical form.
The Smithsonian Institution notes, “African American music cannot be separated from the Transatlantic Slave Trade… The cultures from which they were torn and the conditions into which they were forced both contributed to the sounds of African American music.”
The cultures from which they were torn, West African cultures, historically used song and dance as forms of cultural expression. After being brought to the New World in 1619, these practices remained an important means of resistance for enslaved Africans.
Blues explores the lens of African American history, experiences, and aspirations, breaking the boundaries of their realities. So, while the myth of the Blues involves the devil, one could argue that the actual reality involves evil beings who did try to take their souls, and music was the only thing they got to keep.
SINNERS showcases this in an enthralling dance sequence. Yet, it also highlights the West African folk art of the Griot, subtly positioning it as a distant relative of a Blues singer and projecting the Blues singer as the embodiment of the Griot.
WHAT IS A GRIOT?
Griots of Sambala, king of Médina By Pierre-Georges Jeanniot (gravure).
The Griot is not as mythical or mystical as seen in SINNERS. A griot is a highly respected figure in West African society who serves as a combination of historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and musician. In his TEDxSydney performance, Sibo Bangoura explained, In Africa, a Griot can either play instruments or be a storyteller. He notes that one cannot be a musical griot unless one is born into a musical family.
While the origin of the griot is rather unknown, the earliest reference has its roots in the Mande empire, which rose to prominence in the 13th century in West Africa. Specifically, the origin is often traced back to the reign of Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire.
Griots emerged as key figures within the social and political structure of the Mali Empire. They were attached to royal courts and noble families, serving as advisors, historians, and praise singers.
According to oral tradition in the Epic of Sundjata, Balla Fasséké, the First Griot, was offered to Sundiata Keita by his father. He is considered the first griot and the ancestor of the Kouyaté lineage, one of the most prominent griot families to this day. He served as Sundiata’s advisor and spokesperson.
Griots are instrumental in preserving the history, genealogies, and cultural traditions. Their oral recitations kept the memory of the empire’s founders, important events, and social customs alive. The Epic of Sundjata, which recounts the rise of the Mali Empire, is a central part of the griot repertoire.
The Epic of Sundjata is recognised as one of the earliest examples, however, there have been several notable Griots in literature. One of the most popular being Gassire’s Lute.
Gassire’s lute is a foundational story of the Soninke people of West Africa, particularly associated with the Ghana Empire (which predates the Mali Empire, though the Soninke people were later incorporated into Mali). While not directly part of the Epic of Sundjata and the Mali Empire’s founding, it shares thematic similarities with the griot tradition.
It tells the story of Prince Gassire of Wagadu, a powerful and impatient warrior obsessed with becoming king. However, destiny dictates that he will not be a ruler but the first diari, the Soninke equivalent of a griot or bard.
Gassire initially rejects this destiny, focusing solely on power and war. He has a lute made, but it remains silent. He learns that the lute will only sing when it has absorbed the pain, suffering, and history of his people.
The epic explains the mythical origin of the Soninke bardic tradition. Gassire’s journey from warrior to bard, and the transformation of the silent lute into a voice of history and emotion, symbolise the essence of the griot’s art. The lute itself becomes a metaphor for the griot’s role in embodying and transmitting cultural memory through song and story.
However, while the Soninke people predate the Mali empire, the Epic of the Sundjata is recognised as the earliest because when Gassire’s Lute was published in 1932, as Wikipedia cites, reviewers cautioned that the work was more for entertainment rather than rigorous anthropological study, mentioning that Frobenius (the author) never clarified whether the accounts were oral telling or translated manuscripts.
Both epics underscore the vital role of oral tradition and the griot figure in preserving history, cultural values, and collective identity. The instruments associated with griots, such as the kora, ngoni, and balafon, serve as tools for this vital cultural work, much like Gassire’s symbolic lute.
THE GRIOT TODAY:
The role of the griot is hereditary, passed down through families. These families often specialised in specific lineages or communities within the empire. Griots held a unique position, often acting as intermediaries and possessing significant influence. It was said that a king (jatigi) was incomplete without a griot, and vice versa, highlighting their symbiotic relationship. In Ghana, the Akan griots perform for the locals whenever a new King is involved. The tales they sing help the inhabitants understand and learn about the King. While the Ashanti griots tell the stories of the past kings during the Akwasidae Festival.
As custodians and keepers of stories, they keep history alive. They have assisted archaeologists and historians with tales of storages and locations. They once travelled without restrictions as their responsibilities outweighed the requirements. But today, nothing can bypass the visa applications.
SINNERS recognises the tradition, raising awareness of the griot culture. It is not the singular representation of the griot in mainstream media, as a similar role can be seen in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the Horsemen. Soyinka writes of these court praise-singers, who in the Oyo Empire are called Olohun-Iyo.
The griot goes by many names, even within the West African region. In some regions, they are known as Jeliw, and among the Akan of Ghana, they are called Kwadwumfo.
The most poetic part of SINNERS’ interpretation of the Griot is how it explores every angle of the Griot’s role. From the musical angle to the figure who outlives and never forgets. The Encyclopedia of African History and Culture states, “The range of the griots’ artistry often included audience participation, and many historians have likened the call and response between griot and audience to modern-day African-American church traditions.” Even this very niche angle, SINNERS explored.