The Tradition: Jeliya and Tariku

In Maninka, the language of the former Mandén Empire (c.1230-c.1630) “Tariku” means “chronicle”.  It refers to the treasure trove of musical literature guarded for a thousand years by a hereditary caste of historian-bards called jeli (readers may be more familiar with the French term “griot”).  In a vast, sophisticated empire (in its day, one of the wealthiest on the planet), the Mandèn jelilu (plural) served as royal advisors, press secretaries, and living legal lexicons to some of the wealthiest and most powerful rulers in all of human history.

 At the same time that epics like The Song of Roland and The Poem of the Cid were being sung in the castles of medieval Europe, the Mandén tariku or “chronicles of Mandén” were being performed in the courts of medieval West Africa.  These epics are rich with high adventure, great battles, palace intrigues, cunning sorceresses, stalwart warriors, and august kings.  Basically, imagine Game of Thrones, but with the cast of Black Panther, and you’re halfway there. 

Tariku’s mission is to help fulfill the sacred charge of the jeli- to ensure the survival of this grand tradition by passing it on to the next generation. We are doing this both via our live performances and through our podcast. The monthly releases are episodes in our audio cinema production. The episodes between are the story within the story in the form of deep dives into the Mandeng culture and long form interviews with traditional artists.