<P> In addition to being singers and social commentators, griots are often skilled musicians . Their instruments include the kora, the khalam (also spelled xalam), the goje (called n'ko in the Mandinka language), the balafon and the ngoni . </P> <P> The kora is a long - necked lute - like instrument. with 21 strings . The xalam is a variation of the kora, and usually consists of less than 5 string . Both have gourd bodies that act as resonator . The ngoni is also similar to these two instruments, and has 5 to 6 strings . The balafon is a wooden xylophone, while the goje is a stringed instruments that is played with a bow, much like a fiddle . </P> <P> According to the Encyclopædia Britannica: "West African plucked lutes such as the konting, khalam, and the nkoni (which was noted by Ibn Baṭṭūṭah in 1353) may have originated in ancient Egypt . The khalam is claimed to be the ancestor of the banjo . Another long - necked lute is the ramkie of South Africa ." </P> <P> Griots also wrote stories for their time that younger children enjoyed listening too . these stories were passed down from them to their kids and so on . </P>

Write a paragraph describing how griots contribute to the culture of west africa