This time, we won't look into the eyes of a man representing a distant culture. Instead, we will see their symbol, created by the American artist Woodrow Nash. A blue and gold mask appears on posters announcing the festival. In the sculpture, the artist searched for the souls of ancient African warriors. "He used the old stories and traditional, secret materials. In this way, he created unique, beautiful sculptures that speak about the past. This earned him the nickname "visual storyteller". And in African tradition "storyteller" is synonymous with the word griot" says Grzegorz Bral, artistic director of the festival.
Sages, historians, teachers
When explaining the meaning of events in their stories, griots, to whom which this year's edition of Brave Festival is dedicated, connect past, present and future. They are not just artists, but also sages, historians, diplomats, teachers and shamans. "They represent the tradition of communicating the history, stories, achievements and human genealogy without the involvement of universities. Solely through human memory and musical instruments. It is also a family tradition, the domain of powerful clans, in which the skills are passed down for tens of generations, and along with it, the understanding of the social role and responsibility" says Grzegorz Bral.
Tradition and modernity
During this year's Brave Festival we will see and hear everything that is most characteristic of the griots, and also how they develop these days. Griots believe that every generation must skilfully respond to changes and new times, without losing their identity. Very often, they belong to the elite of the contemporary music world, for example, Ali Farka Toure or Toumani Diabate. They are today's most powerful ambassadors of African music and intellectual traditions.
"They are a great example for many other traditions that are dying, or are endangered with marginalisation. When it comes to music, they are highly skilled. They penetrate world culture, inspiring others with artistic ideas and solutions, and simultaneously, effectively protecting the essence of their tradition. It is fascinating that they are both innovative and artistically conservative, " says Grzegorz Bral. Their stories are inextricably linked to the sounds and rhythm. Therefore, instruments play an extremely important role in the work of griots - the kora (a 21-string harp-like instrument), the balophone (similar to a xylophone) and the ngoni (a type of lute). Here, storytelling and music complement each other in fullness.
The 11th edition of the Brave Festival will be held on 10-17 July 2015 in Wroclaw. Tickets for the festival events will be available from the second half of May.
