Final answer:
Griots were vital to their communities as historians who preserved and transmitted oral histories, serving as living libraries with extensive knowledge of their peoples' ancestries and traditions. The correct answer is option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
Besides being musicians and storytellers, griots played a crucial role as the historians of their communities. They were responsible for the preservation and transmission of oral histories, and in many ways, they served as living libraries, holding vast amounts of knowledge regarding the ancestry, genealogies, and histories of their people. They recited accounts of past events and upheld the traditions of societies such as those from Ancient Mali and Songhai. Griots were instrumental in maintaining the cultural heritage through their narratives that were often accompanied by the music from instruments unique to West Africa, like the Kora and Ngoni.