brooklyn, ny. brought
to you live and direct by
dropout postgrad and julia cocuzza. unofficial
since 4'20'06.
Griots keep people's history alive through talking about it.
Designers of Griot Apparel believe in mixing the oral element
of the West African traditions with the skepticism of modern European
traditions. Designs are intended to catalyze curiousity, stimulate
conversations, instigate oral challenges and incite others to
ask questions. If what we care to discover is the truth, then
memorization alone isn't going to be how we find it. We will find
it by examining and discussing the stories we are told to memorize.
Through dialogue and collaboration, we create new ways of thinking.
We learn as we go and share lessons we learn along the way. The
goal is to implore others to ask questions, to pass on their insights
and provoke cultural engagement.
Our original designs are about cultural and historical subjects
and expanding awareness of them. The styles are heavy with intellectual,
moral, and satirical references. Some of our designs are about
artists or musicians who we have admired or who inspire ambition
in us. Some incorporate figures from politics (which is the art
and practice of power) with aesthetic sensibilities of various
musical movements. Many are about persons whose memory we attempt
to maintain to humble ourselves and to help remind of the horrors
and inhumanity which misdirected ambitions make us capable of
perpetuating. We are not just looking to the heights of humanity,
we are looking to examine the depths as well. Investigation usually
leaves us with wry grins on our faces and subtly pointing our
middle fingers at the man.
Be put on properly
- stay on the list for heads-up on our upcoming events and releases.
griotapparel@gmail.com
Because the word 'griot' is foreign to many, it is a good place
to start in acquainting new arrivals to this collective consciousness.
The word is French with Portuguese origins. It emerged after different
European groups found the need to categorize different people
they encountered as they sought to conquer West Africa. They had
to expand their language as a result.
The originating Portuguese word "criado" translates
as "servant" and found a new sense in Africa when it
began to be used to describe members of the castes of poetic praise-singing
musicians who memorize and maintain narratives which relay African
histories. The griots serve the people of Africa as stewards of
their mutual stories. Today, griots live in various countries
across West Africa--including Guinea, Gambia, Mali, and Senegal.
Different words exist for griots in Mande, Wolof, Pulaar, and
Hassaniyya Arabic, but we use this specific word because the etymology
of the word "griot" embodies a criticallity of itself
and a history of cultural encounters.
