Robert Christgau Word of the Day

gri·ot n. A storyteller in western Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family. (dictionary.reference.com)

Oumou Sangare Worotan [World Circuit, 1997]

Traditional? Folkloric? Malian? "World"? Fusion? Pop? Ignoring such petty distinctions, this sexy sister and radical queen is all these things and none. Its interlock Malian, its forward motion as imbued with possibility as the message it carries, her music has never been more confident or distinct. She's proud to be a griot, a political force, an earth mother, a modern woman, a star. She exploits possibilities she finds in Europe and America, and she gives new possibilities back. A- (www.robertchristgau.com)