Claim your place before it is too late
Share your Story. Share it your own way
There is no such thing as the human language…
But storytelling has many aspects that can help translate our cultures. In Africa stories have been passed down by word of mouth. It is typical in times past for children to gather together by moonlight, around a village fire and tell stories.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Having the time to reflect on the recent events around the world is a great opportunity to identify what real counts and what type of impact you want to make on planet earth and storytelling is a powerful tool for that purpose.
Why does that matter?
Storytelling is a unique gift that we have as human beings. Everything we hold dear, take pride in, and celebrate as being part of our identity is present today through the stories that have been told.
In some cultures in West Africa, storytelling is a birthright. The Griots (gree-ohs) of Guinea and Senegal are considered descendants of musical and lyrical storytellers. They hold the oral history of their people and use their skills to keep it going. Griots are wordsmiths and also known in the West African language of Bamanakan or Mande Kan, as Jali or Jeli (pl. Jeliw or Jalolu), depending on the region. A female griot is referred to as a Jelimuso or Jalimuso (muso meaning “woman). The craft of the griot, Jaliyaa, is traditionally, passed down from father to son and mother to daughter. Griots often accompany their stories and songs with music from instruments like the kora (a stringed instrument similar to a harp) or balafon (a kind of xylophone). Through them, phrases don’t go cold, idioms ring loud in the wind, and tragedies are never forgotten.
Throughout the generations, we can maintain respect, embrace differences, and accurately represent our worth in the same way that the Griots do. If you missed the hereditary lottery but are a person who embraces the many forms of storytelling, here are three ways that storytelling can be used to achieve cultural translation.
#1 Represent cultures in mass media productions and stories.
#2 Draw parallels that show the human condition in the stories that are most consumed by different demographics in our community.
#3 Integrate storytelling into learning and development. There is no substitute for teaching our young about the world and its diversity.
We should invest in the people who are entrusted with telling stories of the people and their culture. The storytellers, poets, singers, instrumentalists, and historians among us should not be starved of places to share their stories and people to share with.
Storytelling is a gift to our collective humanity and one to be cherished and celebrated. Knowing your story is empowering and not knowing it is dangerous.
