Alright, let me tell ya ’bout this movie, Keita! The Voice of the Griot. Don’t you be expectin’ no fancy talk, ’cause I’m just gonna tell it like it is, plain and simple.
This here movie, Keita! The Voice of the Griot, or some folks call it Keta! L’Hritage du griot, well, it’s a story ’bout a young fella named Mabo Keita. He’s just a regular kid, livin’ in Burkina Faso, which is over in West Africa, ya know? One day, he’s just there at home, his folks takin’ a nap, and BAM! Life throws him a curveball.
See, Mabo, he’s got this schoolteacher, learnin’ him all the regular stuff. But then there’s this old fella, a griot they call him, a wise man with stories and traditions as old as the hills. Now, the griot, he’s kinda mysterious, got that old-timey way about him. And that’s where the trouble starts, or maybe not trouble, but a choice, ya see?
This movie, it makes ya think. Should Mabo listen to his teacher, learnin’ the new ways, or should he follow the griot, the one holdin’ onto the old ways? It’s like, do you stick with what ya know, or do ya take a chance on somethin’ different? Somethin’ maybe your grandpa and his grandpa before him believed in?
- Mabo Keita: The young fella at the heart of it all.
- The Schoolteacher: Teaches the modern stuff.
- The Griot: The old wise man, keeper of traditions and stories.
Now, this movie ain’t some shoot-em-up bang-bang thing. It’s more about the heart and soul, about figurin’ out who you are and where you come from. It’s got that Burkinab film feel to it, ya know? Not all flashy and Hollywood-like, but real, down to earth. It was made back in 1995 by some fella named Dani Kouyat. And this other fella, Sotigui Kouyat, he’s in it too. Maybe they’re related, I dunno.
The movie, it’s kinda like listenin’ to your grandma tell you stories ‘bout the old days. Stories that make you feel connected to somethin’ bigger than yourself. It’s about heritage, about where you come from, and how that shapes who you become. And lemme tell ya, that’s important, no matter where you’re from or how you were raised.
They released this movie in Canada too, with the English title Keita! Voice of the Griot. I reckon folks over there wanted to hear Mabo’s story too. And it ain’t just a story for kids neither. It’s for anyone who’s ever wondered ’bout their place in the world, anyone who’s ever felt pulled in two different directions.
So, if you’re lookin’ for somethin’ different, somethin’ that’ll make ya think and feel, then maybe give this Keita! The Voice of the Griot a watch. It ain’t gonna blow your socks off with special effects or nothin’, but it might just touch your heart. And that’s worth somethin’, ain’t it? It’s a story passed down, like the griot himself would do, tellin’ tales ‘round the fire.
Anyways, that’s all I gotta say ‘bout it. It’s a good movie, a thinkin’ movie. Go on and see it for yourself if you get the chance. You won’t be sorry. It’s got heart, this movie, and that’s what matters most, I reckon.
Tags: [Keita, Griot, Burkina Faso, African Cinema, Heritage, Tradition, Storytelling, Mabo Keita, Dani Kouyat, Sotigui Kouyat, 1995 film, West Africa, Coming-of-Age, Movie Review]
