Griot Singing Histories Under Mango Tree

Wet green leaves of a mango tree drape over a man seated on a salt-crusted cliff edge. The early afternoon light diffuses through low-hanging gray clouds, casting a soft, even glow on the scene. Rain has left droplets clinging to the rough bark and the singer's dark, textured clothing. The man sits with a traditional stringed instrument resting against his knee, his mouth open mid-song. Behind him, the gray sky meets the pale, mineral-stained rock face. Salt spray has whitened the lower sections of the tree trunk. One wet leaf rests on the shoulder of his garment.