Interweaving chants, songs, music, and movement, American Griot and storyteller Diane Macklin shares tales from the African American Diaspora. From trickster tales to stories of friendship, get to know fabulous characters with claws, paws, fins, feet, and wings in this fun-filled, interactive show that highlights this nation’s diversity.

A Closer Look - What is a Griot?

The dictionary tells us that a Griot is a storyteller in western Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family.
Although that is the basic gist of the meaning of the word itself, to the African people a Griot is many things, a story-teller, historian, musician, and the keep of his or her people's traditions. In the past, Griots were known to advise Kings. The Griots of today, share some of the same songs and stories from those that were told in ancient times and have kept the history of their people alive. They are educated people and very wise. They learned from their parents or other relatives who were also Griots. It takes many years of practice to learn how to play the many drums and string instruments and to learn all the songs and histories. Traditionally, there is only one storyteller per village and he or she does not have to work the fields like many others.  Their job is to tell stories and perform at celebrations and rituals.

A Closer Look - About the Artist

Master storyteller, Diane Macklin, has been described by The Washington Post as having a “dynamic” approach to engaging audiences of children and adults.  Her “griotic” style delights audiences as she integrates her theatrical presence, dancing hands, and lyrical voice to create a unique story experience not to be missed. Her training as a cultural mediator and formal classroom teacher lends uniqueness to her commitment to quality programming, education, and arts integration. In an interview with The Washington Post, Macklin explains that she left the formal classroom "in order to teach. The most traditional way to do that is through storytelling. And not just as entertainment, but as an art form that reaches everybody at some level. It doesn't matter where you come from in the world (or) who your ancestors are. Every single human being starts out with a story." Ms. Macklin is the resident storyteller at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art and has performed for the Colonial Williamsburg Storytelling Festival, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, and Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. Visit her website at: www.dianemacklin.com.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR LEARNING GUIDES