About a hundred kilometres south-west of Bamako, on the left bank of the Niger River, the Malian village of Kela is known to be home to a large community of griots (jeliw), mostly belonging to the Diabaté family. Their mastery of the jeliya - the tradition of the mandenka griots - is recognised throughout West Africa and many griots come from all over the world to stay there, sometimes for several years, in the hope of becoming immersed in it. The first three recordings on this album were made in 2019 by the Swiss musician Vincent Zanetti, with the blessing of village dignitaries, and the last three in 1978 by the French entomologist Bernard Mondet. The accompanying booklet contains the testimonies of several important musicians who participated in the recording.