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THE GRIOTS OF WEST AFRICA

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MOUSSA DIAKITE - GUITAR MAESTRO, VOCALIST AND SONGWRITER

Moussa Diakite was part of Mali's generation of pioneering musicians in the 1970s and 80s. Composing and performing music heavily influenced by the Wassoulou styles of Southwestern Mali.

Moussa Diakite & Wassado play modern Malian music inspired by the rich musical traditions of his West African homeland.

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Moussa Diakite with the Salif Keita Band, The Dakar Festival, Senegal 1993

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Mandinka Greetings

Greetings are perhaps one of the most essential aspects of mandinka culture. The mandinka love to greet. It is extremely impolite for one to walk by and not stop to exchange greetings. The greetings are often long exchanges that end with prayers. Below is a list of mandinka greetings used in the morning, afternoon and evening, and others that can be used at all times of the day. This is the Guinea, Kankan region dialect. Mandinka is a vast language and the vocabulary slightly varies depending on the region.

Morning (Sunrise - Noon)

Opening Greeting

I ni sooma -(pronounced ii sooma) “Good morning”

Questions

Tana ma si? -

Did you sleep without evil?

Here sira? -

Did you sleep in peace?

I kende sira? -

Did you sleep in health?

I sen nani sira? -

Did you sleep with four legs?

Day and Evening (Not morning)

Note: These opening greetings are seldom used. Usually people use "I ni ke" for all times of day, especially day and evening.

Opening Greetings

I ni tele -

Good afternoon (noon - 4PM)

I ni wura -

Good evening (4PM - 10PM)

I ni su -

Good night (after 10 PM)

Questions

Tana ma tele? -

Is there no evil in your day?

Here tele na? -

Did you pass the day in peace?

Anytime

Opening Greetings

I ni ke / I ni wale -

What up?

I ni se / I ni sene -

Welcome (after long absence)

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Fatoumata Diawara is a Malian singer-songwriter and multiple Grammy Award nominee

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Bako Dagnon, Malian Griot/ Musician

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Music of the Sahel: Mali

“Recent events in Mali are particularly shocking because it formerly stood as a beacon of democracy in the region. Mali's fundamental inter-ethnic harmony goes back to the 13th century Malian Empire, a peaceful, multi-ethnic regime that thrived across much of West Africa for 200 years. This history is reflected in Mali's rich palette of traditional music. Since its independence from France in 1960, many of these traditions have developed into spectacular popular music genres — the desert blues-rock of the Tuareg and Songhai people in the north, the august praise songs and instrumental virtuosity of the Mande griots (musical historians designated by birth), the loping swing of Wassoulou music from the south and a rich array of pentatonic genres. Vocals range from Delta blues-like grit to near operatic refinement, and the instrumental brilliance expressed on a range of harps, lutes, and wooden-slatted balafons has found its way onto guitar frets and keyboards as the country has embraced Western instruments and influences without losing an ounce of its striking local character. This trend continues right through the emergence of Malian singer-songwriters, rappers and electronic music mixers.”

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Moises Saman, en route to Kankan, Guinea