Cissé Kouyaté

African Griot

Keywords: Oddball – Storyteller – Pacifist

Cissé was the Griot of Soundiata Keïta, the wealthy and powerful leader of the Mali Empire. Griots are the repository of the tales of the people, poets, musicians and historians altogether.

An eccentric and very humble character, much liked for his tremendous storytelling skills, he was responsible for keeping and telling the tales of the most powerful families of the Empire, bringing him many troubles when family secrets became to resurface.

Despite his constant kindness and zest for life, he was becoming more and more unwanted. A devious scheme forced him out of the emperor’s court, and he was sold to a wandering slaver.

He was freed shortly after by a terrible storm that hit their ship. He drifted on his raft as the sole survivor until he wrecked on the island.