More about The Old Woman, the Buffalo and the Lion of Manding

The Birth of Sundiata Keita is not an invented story. It is known and told across Francophone Africa to this day as a warrior story of kingship and battle. It is told as history from the 13 Century, passed down through griots; storytellers, praise singers and stores of cultural knowledge whose role is to preserve the culture and identity of a people.

During the recent upheavals in Mali, this was one of the stories which was forbidden to be told, as all traditional ceremonies and folklore were banned.  Epic stories are rich reservoirs of cultural identity, so can be primary targets in turbulent times.

In African and Caribbean epic traditions, there is no separation between word, movement and song. Jan, Raymond and Kouame embody these traditions in their performances and invite audiences to join in, from the safety of their seats!

In choosing to tell this story, Jan Blake expressed her respect for the griots who hold the story’s traditions by choosing to tell a more rarely heard perspective – that of the three women who have a formative influence on Sundiata as a young boy.   This also reflects her voice as a storyteller, known for her rich store of tales of powerful women, drawn from cultures across the globe and especially from Africa, the Caribbean and Arabia.