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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The narrative genre among the Bamana of Mali
Author:Couloubaly, Pascal BabaISNI
Year:1993
Periodical:Research in African Literatures
Volume:24
Issue:2
Pages:47-60
Language:English
Geographic term:Mali
Subjects:Bambara
oral literature
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/3819885
Abstract:Most Bamana narrative genres are addressed to popular audiences, and the contexts in which they are produced invite a blurring of genre distinctions and an often imperceptible mixture of styles. Nevertheless, these genres do exist, and an awareness of their defining characteristics will only become possible after a number of detailed, complementary studies have been undertaken. This essay represents one step toward a better understanding of Bamana narrative genres. Among the Bamana (Mali) the production of narratives can be either collective or individual, and it always takes place in one of two different social frameworks: the informal one of the 'baro', the 'sumu', and the 'mansara', and the formal one of the 'donkili', the 'fòli', and perhaps other forms as well. Informal social frameworks involve people who meet casually and speak with each other. The principal goal of the more formal social frameworks is to generate and to perpetuate different sorts of narratives. The author discusses a number of genres that are linked to both frameworks. Bibliogr.
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