Traditional African storytelling
Predating the written word by millennia, the oral tradition was the primary method of preserving and relating history and culture throughout much of the world. It continues in the diverse countries of Africa, where, using the medium of storytelling, the oral tradition of passing down heritage, memories and learning remains strong. Storytellers are often revered as the repositories of oral tradition and are sometimes seen as leaders due to their customary positions as advisors to African royals.
Storytellers often use symbols such as animals, birds and colours in their narrations, which often take the form of fables, and many storytellers are also proficient musicians and use those skills to enhance their performances.
Here, Chief Amu relates a few of those wonderful tales to tell us about how birds learnt to fly, the good panther, free range eggs, the African magician and the magic drums.
Told and performed by
Chief Gift Amu – Logotse