For as long as could be remembered, oral traditions existed in African societies. For Africans, oral tradition was a means for passing down history, folklore and stories from generation to generation. Everyone’s story is different; passing along oral traditions works to convey one’s culture. Oral tradition can even go so far as to teach the traditional values of life and give religious insight. Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku explains that “voice unified a family, clan, or community”. In tradition, griots serve as storytellers, musicians and singers. They memorize these stories and songs completely, and pass them along. Thus, the role of the griot is important in the conservation of African history and culture. Throughout history, people have visited Africa and several countries within only to return home and share stories of their adventures. They recount what they see and often times regurgitate stories that they have heard. Is it possible to relate a visitor’s tale of Africa to the tales passed through generations by storytellers? While recounting a visit in a foreign country does give others an idea of that country may be like, hearing a story from someone within the culture provides a better understanding of that culture. D.T. Niane’s story of Sundiata and Ibn Battuta’s stories in Africa both provide the reader with knowledge of African history. However, given the importance of spoken word in African culture, Niane’s work serves as a more reliable source and properly provides a realistic view of a powerful kingdom such as Mali, which is done through his own personal understanding of African culture itself. One may argue that Ibn Battuta’s accounts in Africa would be far more valid than Niane’s . This is due to the fact that Battuta’s stories in Africa were written from his actual experiences, recounting the things that he observed and some stories he heard. If