Chapter 14 Multiple Choice Questions

Even though West African cultures connected by oral traditions, how they were different

Different ways of life, language, etc.

Which of the following best describes West African cultures?

diverse

Which instrument is most likely to be played at West African religious meetings and ceremonies?

drum

What do proverbs do?

express ideas or give advice

"Trickster tales", such as the tales about Brer Rabbit, are popular West African what?

folktales

What kind of history were griots expected to remember?

battles, deaths, weddings, rulers, etc.

The Yoruba people taught their neighbors in Benin how to make sculptures out of what material

brass

Written tradition became more important in West African culture when

Islam gained followers in West Africa

Besides recounting history, what did griots also do?

They were poet-musicians who told stories, sang songs of praise, and recite poems, often while playing a drum or other instruments such as the kora, ngoni, and balafon. They performed music, dance, and drama.

Which of the following is the best example of an oral tradition?

a grandmother singing a song she learned from her mother

Many griot stories were told about Sundjata Keita. Who was he?

a king who founded Mali's empire

The griot instrument similar to the xylophone in the picture is called a

balafon

What kind of cloth is made by sewing together narrow strips of silk of other fabrics?

kente cloth

West Africans perform dances for all kind of reasons, such as...

marriages, births, holidays, etc.

West African cultures were different in many ways. What did they have in common?

oral tradition

The Mande people first recorded their history and culture through

oral traditions

Historically, who has helped preserve oral traditions and history in West Africa?

poet-musicians

Griots are best recognized for their ability to

recount histories and genealogies, or histories of people's ancestry

Call and response songs have influenced which of these musical styles the most?

rock and roll

In appliqué work what happened?

small pieces of facric are attached to a larger background piece

The Nok people made sculptures of human figures out of what material

terra-cotta

Rulers and griots both played an important role in West Africa. Which of the following best describes how rulers viewed griots?

trusted advisors