Ethnomusicological Study of Ogbele Music in Akoko Land of Ondo State
Abstract
Ogbele traditional Entertainment music in Akoko land is popular music among the ethnic folks whose
lives revolve around the music in their day to day activities. This is visible in their festivals such as Odun
isu (Yam festival), Egungun festival, Imole (deity) festival and Ibo-egbe (age grade) festival among others
which are celebrated between one to nine years intervals as the tradition permits. While documentations
of other aspects of their endeavours (festivals, occupations, religions and cultures) have been made in
terms of journal articles, books and television documentaries, the study of music in Akoko historiography
is conspicuously negligible. Ogbele music prominently features in festive periods or occasions such as
burial ceremonies, child dedications, house warming and marriages. Akoko land is a unique community
with diverse ethnic groups with their different language variations. While these communities have their
separate dialects, (that span across the four (4) local governments) they seldom use it in their music.
Regardless of this, and in spite of their ethnic differences and language variations, Ogbele music functions
as a rallying point in the community when the need arises to celebrate their festivals together. Yoruba
language or Ekiti dialect is the communicative language in singing. Contingent on this, it is pertinent to
investigate and examine the music; its structural features, functions, organisational practice and types of
musical instruments used. A multy-disciplinary research methodological approach (i.e. combination of
observation, oral interview and library search) was adopted and used to elucidate data in this work. It
was discovered that Ogbele music is highly employed and crucial to every indigene of Akoko land though
with slight differences. Each community have their version of Ogbele music styles approaches and
application due to the ethnic background. The research also divulges that the Ogbele music in Akoko
land is enormously rich, though untapped in the sense of documentation and tourism. The work adopts
the theory of Narrative flow as theoretical framework by Vilma Hanninnen.
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