Modern griots in the FYP: digital (re)existence on brazilian TikTok

Abstract

Treball de fi de màster Estudis Internacionals sobre Mitjans, Poder i Diversitat

Supervisor: Carles Roca-Cuberes

This thesis investigates how Brazilian influencers from marginalized communities use TikTok to resist epistemicide and assert cultural identity. Drawing on the concept of the modern griot the study examines the digital transformation of traditional knowledge through oral storytelling, aesthetic strategies, and emotional performances. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on 99 TikTok videos from creators @pretaletrada, @cristianwariu, and @deusacientista. Using deductive coding and thematic synthesis within a decolonial communicative framework, the research treats TikTok not as a neutral platform but as a contested space shaped by extractive logics, yet open to tactical appropriation. The analysis identifies five key narrative themes: digital (re)existence, knowledge in performance, cosmologies of the self, narratives of belonging, and subversive futures. These themes demonstrate how creators navigate platform constraints to affirm cultural memory and identity. This study contributes to understanding the continuity between ancestral knowledge and digital expression, showing that these modern griots actively reshape storytelling in the algorithmic age. The findings highlight alternative modes of knowledge production that challenge dominant digital logics, advancing discussions on resistance and representation in digital media.