One such development was the use of dance bands to provide entertainment in clubs and restaurants. Traditional musicians belong to a caste, known as the jali . They used to entertain the Malian nobility at Court, telling epic stories in song. Until relatively recently, historical knowledge was passed on from one generation to another by the jalis. See also praise singers in the Burkina Faso virtual journey.
Most Malian musicians are jalis.
It has been very hard for people who are not jalis to be accepted into the profession. Salif Keita is a rare exception. During the 1980s, music from the Wassoulou region, south of Bamako, became popular. The Wassoulou do not have jalis. Their music is based on ancient hunters' songs, accompanied by traditional instruments such as a hunters' harp and the fle .