The Wolof word Xawaré can be translated as ‘dialogue’ or ‘conversation’. The ceremony of the same name is a traditional Wolof celebration that originally took place at night at the centre of the village, often involving a palaver tree, such as a Baobab or Fromager, in a special form of activation. 

The ceremony is a sonic voyage led by the Griot—a figure who is simultaneously a singer, historian, and container of community memory—whose words are accompanied by the sound of the Xalam, a four-stringed lute instrument often played by himself or by his peers. As the ceremony reaches its apex, a second instrument joins, famous for its ability to activate all the senses of the body from its strident sound: the Tama or talking drum, as it is more commonly known. This instrument played under the armpit to regulate its intensity, creates sounds akin to spoken  words. Depending on the scale of the event, the musical ensemble can also expand to include more instruments.

Xawaré continues to influence new generations, and contemporary incarnations of the practice can be found in the work of artists and bands like Star Number One, Youssou Ndour and Étoile de Dakar, Star Band de Dakar, and Xalam, among others. 

For this session, Griot and artist Nago Koité, together with SAF SAP and Kora player Saliou Cissokho, lead a ceremony of storytelling, centering the praise traditions as well as sabar dancing from the shores of Senegal and its surrounding.