Lamban is a dance and song created by jali (griots) for each other. Initially Lamban was devoted to the Kouyate lineage, who belonged to the very first family of jalis in Mande. Balla Fasseke Kouyate

The version most often performed today is Lamban Ba – Big Lamba. It is performed when the entire community, including non-griots, gets together.

It’s important to remember that Lamban is a dance for jali, or griots. In Africa, people who are not members of the griot caste will not, and really, should not perform Lamba. That being said, the dance has been taught for years in the United States, and has become an essential part of the African dance repertoire.

In order to understand Lamba, you need to know the structure of Mande society.

Mande society, a person is born into one of three main castes: the freeborn, (horon), the artisans (nyamakala), and the slaves (jon).

Nyamakala, or the artisans, are sub-classified based on profession. They include the potters, the wood-carvers, the blacksmiths or ironworkers, and the praise singers/musicians/historians – the griots (from the French) or jali.

The jali are endogamous. That means they marry within their caste. So in order to be a jali, or a griot, you must come from a jali family.

The jali have the hereditary right to play three instruments; the kora, or harp lute; the balaphone, the African ancestor of the xylophone; and the ngoni, a small instrument that is considered one of the ancestors of the banjo.

The history of the jali, in fact the history of all the Mande people, is intertwined with the history of the Great Mali Empire, and the legend of Sunjata Keita.

What was the great Mali Empire and who was Sunjata Keita?

According to the legend, Sunjata Keita was the son of the second wife of Chief Magan Kon Fatta. Sunjata Keita was born disabled, and was ridiculed by the first wife and her son, Dankaran Touman

Sunjata did not walk until he was 7, but after walking became a great hunter. Keita’s griot was Balla Fasseke Kouyate.

When Magan Kon Fatta died, Dankaran Touman became chief. Dankara Touman. sent Sunjata, his mother and his sister into exile.

Dankaran then sent Balla Fasseke Kouyate to appease Sumanguro Kante, a blacksmith and a sorcerer, who was the king of the region. At that time Sunmanguro was fighting against Mali.

Balla Fasseke Kouyate managed to get into the king’s secret chambers, and started playing his balaphone (or xylophone). Although the king was far away, he heard the music. He changed himself into the wind and returned to see who was playing his instrument. Rather than kill Balla Fasseke, the king cut his Achilles tendon, so he couldn’t walk away.

1. 
   Griots or jali, the professional musicians and oral historians of the Mande people dance it.
   

2. 
   The jali have the hereditary right to play three instruments: the kora, the ngoni and the balaphone.
   

3. 
   The term Mande, refers to ethnic groups that live in the following countries: Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, and Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Some Mande speakers are also found in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. (And, of course, the United States and Europe as immigrants.)
   

4. 
   Mande includes the following ethnic groups: Mali: Bambara (Bamana in English); SeneGambia: Mandinka; Guinea: Maninka, Susu,
   

5. 
   Lamba was created to honor the Kouyate family. The Kouyate (also spelled Kuyateh) descended from the first jali or griot, Balla Fasseke Kouyate. He was the griot to Sunjata Keita.
   

6. 
   Sunjata Keita was the founder of the Great Mali Empire. He was born disabled and did not walk until he was 7.
   

7. 
   Sunjata Keita defeated Sumanguro Kante by striking him with his taboo.
   

8. 
   The Empire lasted from the 13^th to the 16^th centuries.