Mah Damba, A Griotte in Exile
In Mali they are called "the djelis". The West calls them "griots". These are a caste of masters of the spoken word, of storytellers, musicians, go-betweens, or noble genealogists.
It is said that when a griot dies, it's an entire library that disappears, or that a griot is like a needle that sews.
Type (Documentaire / Documentaire fiction / Série documentaire)Documentary Genre en anglaisArts & culture Directed by Corinne Maury, Olivier ZuchuatSupported by Fondation Montorge, Novaprod OWLDistributed by ADAV, Artline FilmsYear2001Duration58min
Mah Damba is a griotte who lives both in Paris and in Mali, and whose voice carriers the musical currents of the land of Mali and France.
A camera follows her in her daily pursuits, shared between Paris and Bamako, between song and family life, between polygamy and international career…
Being a griot, however, is also being an icon of ancestral traditions. So, how can one reconcile this role with the city of Paris as it is now?
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