When listening to the “gale-force vocals” of Sory Kandia Kouyaté or the soaring vibrato of Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, I have often wondered how these griot artists master their crafts and what kind of training they undergo. Thus, discovering the documentary “Da Kali: The Pledge to the Art of the Griot” is a revelation.
Guided by Lucy Durán — an ethnologist, record producer, radio broadcaster, and Professor of Music at SOAS — the film crew returns to Mali annually to document the progress of four children from esteemed griot families as they undergo their apprenticeships. This approach offers viewers a rare glimpse into how the griot’s art is handed down, to be both preserved and enriched by each new generation.
