The author Paul Oliver has argued that the bluesman, as a lone, traveling minstrel singing songs that unite the black community and remind them of their hardships and hopes, is related to the West African griot, a musician and storyteller who wanders the countryside singing songs of praise or ridicule and who helps to advertise and manage community values. Labeling the bluesman as an American version of the griot further connects the blues to African American folklore, is this label legitimate?
Do we see any examples of this currently? Research these two figures and their roles in order to assess whether Oliver’s argument is correct.
