Language of the Jali

Jalolu possess a unifying key, language. The language of the Jali belongs to a family of languages known as Mande Kan, this being a designation of the original language of the people dating back thousands of years. The most widely recognized term, designating the people and language of the Jali, by Westerners, is the English corruption “Mandingo.” Mandingo is actually an anglicized form of the word Mande nko, which connotes, more the land from which the people come, Mali, or Mande (the term used most frequently by the people themselves.)

The Jali may be found among the principle speakers of Mande Kan: The Dyula of the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, the Bamana or Bambara of Southern Mali, the Maninka or Malinké of Guinea, the Khassonké of the western frontier of Mali and the Mandinka of The Gambia and Southern Senegal.

There’s more to be discovered if you click on one of the links below:

• The Ancient Craft of Jaliyaa
• An Introduction to Orature
• Origin of the Word Griot
• Origin of the Jali
• Language of the Jali
• Historical Role of the Jali
• Social Role of the Jali
• Musical Instrumentation of the Jali
• Contemporary Jaliyaa
• Slideshow of a Kora Ceremony for one of Baba’s Students
• Baba’s Suggested Reading List

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