A griot was a public servant, an artist, and a royal counselor. His fate depended on the prosperity and survival of the king or queen he served. He preserved the oral history of his tribe or people. In the Caribbean and the Americas he was the link to their African culture and history. The griot was the only person that could keep their past history in Africa alive. Troubadour and poet, diplomat and diviner only begin to describe his functions. Each clan, village, and warrior-family had a griot. They kept track of all births, marriages, deaths, battles and other tribal histories. Griots were also said to have the ability to see one's future. They could memorize the history of every member of a clan or tribe going back for centuries.