A Griot would speak for hours, even days, drawing upon a practiced and memorized history, that had been passed on from Griot to Griot for generations. Long after the fall of the Malian Empire in 1468, a Manding family of means would have their own Griot to advise, arrange the terms of marriages and mediate disputes, always relying on their understanding of each family's history.Somewhere along the line, Griots, or Jelis as they are known among the Manding, also became the official musicians of the society. The balafon, which figures prominently in the Sundiata story, is a wooden xylophone and probably the original Jelis instrument. But now, Jelis also play the ngoni, a small traditional lute, and the kora, a 21-string cross between a harp and a lute. Jelis also sing in loud, proud voices full of the grandeur of their history. There are male Griot singers, but many of these beloved and respected vocalists are also women. The Griot's ancient art, Jeliya, is still practiced today, though some say it has declined under the pressures of modern, commercial society. These days, Manding families generally cannot afford their own private Griot, so the musicians move from family to family, performing at weddings and baptisms, entertaining and praising the guests. Critics claim that this way of working forces Griots to know a little bit of everybody's history, but prevents them from knowing all the rich detail that their ancestors had to master.