Opinion
Consciousness and Traditional Ogoni Music
Ogoni traditional music is as old as the race. It is difficult to trace it from that time, nor any century earlier than the twentieth century. Nor is it possible to remember extinct song groups. The initial tradition was to form song groups among peer groups. The technique helped in socialisaton, dissemination of culture, learning and practising the mores of the people. The groups became historical time markers which helped uneducated persons to count time and record events in their memories that were later written down in books.
The socialisation process engaged people to sing, dance,court, marry and fish; it also assisted in group participation on farms and other works. It forstered love and harmony among peer groups and subsequently, each community. It was a means of training young people knitting, farming, fishing, palm-wine tapping, cooking, greeting and trading.
Peer groups still form musical groups today, not mandatory as in the past when the need for such cohesion was necessary. Interested individuals form song groups today, not motivated by age brackets .
They strive towards professionalism; some are educated musicians, others are laymen in the field who are talented singers, dancers and instrumentalists. They are proefessionals in other fields but depend on music for small sums of money.
Ogoni music is not only the musicality which derives from good qualitative singing and instrumentation, but it incorporates dance which is another art. Ogoni dance is peculiar to the race: wriggling and skipping. Other styles are hip-dance, relaxation, shoulder dance and, imitation dance which could be any object or subject – an aeroplane bombing a place,weeding, paddling or any other thing.
Patronage is a vital mens of controlling, influencing and mentoring Ogoni singers. Ogoni song peer groups are headed by patrons, who have either helped to found the groups or have taken interest in their development. They support them financially and psychologically.
Recording of songs in Ogoni has been in progress from the time tape-recorders were introduced in the area. Professional documentation has not been on a large scale; there are few professionals to do so and few music sponsors of poor local professionals. There are many song groups in the race; only one is known to me to have attained international standard in music. There are few recordings in Ogoni today of songs from song groups in all the local governments or traditional kingdoms which constitute the race.
Instrumentation is divided into three aspects in this essay: ideophones – resonators which are rattles, bells, whistles and xylophones; membranophones –drums which are tonaly divided into treble, tenor drums, alto and bass drums; aerophones – hollow instruments like horns and Indian bamboo hollow stems. These musical instruments are used by experts which produce various sounds on various musical scales.
Whistles, rattles, bells, xylophones, drums, horns, pots and hollow bamboos produce sounds which pass through the filter of noise and become melody; sounds blend and harmoinse on any traditional musical scales catalysing into harmony. Sometimes, sculptural art works evoke values and emotions that are easy to decipher through group-mind, symbolism and connotations; they relate to music. Dance is another art, but an integral part of Ogoni music; it reinforces theme, expresses emotions and speaks through body language. These create various traditional rhythms which are not poor copies learned from other cultures but original creations of indigenous minds.
Serele song group was the first to attain sublimity. It was formed about 1986 in Deeyor through which period gestation performances were done to select the best performers. Sub-groups were formed in the villages of Gokana from where they spread to other clans of Ogoni. The pioneer group performed in many towns and villages until it was presented at FESTAC in 1977. The competition was keen, the performers were brilliant and turned out to be outstanding. The group was invited to perform in the United States of America.
Anything could form the theme of a song; there are as many themes as song groups: love, feats of heroes, misdemeanor of men, women and youths, maladministration and theft. The songs convey various emotions which are tied to various themes; some of them are joy, sadness, reflection or meditation and, mixed feelings.
Theme, mood and tone determine the nature of songs –praise, work, abuse, war and any other. Aesthetics or beauty is determined not merely by rendition but the totality of performance: the equal proportions of dance, music and instrumentation. These are the elements that determine harmony, coherence and melody. Language and worldview, rhythm, structure and sense give holistic picture. Orchestration and perfect performance determine quality.
Composers and performers engage the minds of people with serious themes about man in society, his social, political, religious and economical relations, what he should be as opposed to what he is, what he is and should remain in relation to group-mind; these relate to the aims and goals of society.
The number of traditional artists is increasing. The sunrise has come but the zenith is yet to come. The data are not available now; there is the need for thorough research to quote the exact number. It is most likely that number will increase with quality in the years to come because many shall have taken degrees in music.
Modernisation is the major distraction of traditional music. New forms have arisen from various contacts made with various races. There are jazz, blues, raggae and other traditional forms of music with different audiences and lovers from the race. There are emergent professionals of western music from the race. There are a medley of forms by some artists but there are purists who believe in the preservation of each form as it is.
Traditional Ogoni music is battling to keep its breathe in the crowded music atmosphere. It is necessary for repertoire, orchestration, dance steps and performance to maintain traditional purity. Musical instruments may be modernised with modern materials as long as they maintain their sounds. Quality is bound to improve with the new stream of educated artists coming onto the scene. The guiding principle of production and performance should be the preservation of quality of music and, the culture of the race.
In conclusion, Ogoni people are conscious that their music is unique and different from those of other races. They are aware of the other forms of music from the West, Niger Delta and other races. There are some who love traditional music of the race and prefer it to the ones mentioned. They regard their songs and dances as unique creations worth preserving. The artists and performers are aware that people are eager to patronise their music in modern forms: film, video and CRD. They anticipate a bountiful renaissance harvest that shall come with the outpourings of songs, singers, performers, musicologists, music teachers and lecturers.
To be continued next Friday.
Ngaage writes from the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State.
Barine Saana Ngaage
Quote:”While job seeking youths should continuously acquire skills and explore opportunities within their immediate environment as well as in the global space through the use of digital platforms, government, corporate/ multinational organizations or the organised private sector should generate skills and provide the enabling environment for skills acquisition, through adequate funding and resettlement packages that will provide sustainable economic life for beneficiaries”.
The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, recently urged youths in the Rivers State to take advantage of the vast opportunities available to become employers of labour and contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the State. Governor Fubara noted that global trends increasingly favour entrepreneurship and innovation, and said that youths in Rivers State must not be left behind in harnessing these opportunities. The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, made this known while declaring open the 2026 Job Fair organised by the Rivers State Government in partnership with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) in Port Harcourt. The Governor acknowledged the responsibility of government to create jobs for its teeming youth population but noted that it is unrealistic to absorb all job seekers into the civil service.
“As a government, we recognise our duty to provide employment opportunities for our teeming youths. However, we also understand that not all youths can be accommodated within the civil service. This underscores the need to encourage entrepreneurship across diverse sectors and to partner with other stakeholders, including the youths themselves, so they can transition from being job seekers to employers of labour,” he said. It is necessary to State that Governor Fubara has not only stated the obvious but was committed to drive youth entrepreneurship towards their self-reliance and the economic development of the State It is not news that developed economies of the world are skilled driven economies. The private sector also remains the highest employer of labour in private sector driven or capitalist economy though it is also the responsibility of government to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth population in Nigeria which has the highest youth unemployed population in the subSahara Africa.
The lack of job opportunities, caused partly by the Federal Government’s apathy to job creation, the lack of adequate supervision of job opportunities economic programmes, lack of employable skills by many youths in the country have conspired to heighten the attendant challenges of unemployment. The challenges which include, “Japa” syndrome (travelling abroad for greener pastures), that characterises the labour market and poses threat to the nation’s critical sector, especially the health and medical sector; astronomical increase in the crime rate and a loss of interest in education. While job seeking youths should continuously acquire skills and explore opportunities within their immediate environment as well as in the global space through the use of digital platforms, government, corporate/ multinational organizations or the organised private sector should generate skills and provide the enabling environment for skills acquisition, through adequate funding and resettlement packages that will provide sustainable economic life for beneficiaries.
While commending the Rivers State Government led by the People First Governor, Sir Siminilayi Fubara for initiating “various training and capacity-building programmes in areas such as ICT and artificial intelligence, oil and gas, maritime, and the blue economy, among others”, it is note-worthy that the labour market is dynamic and shaped by industry-specific demands, technological advancements, management practices and other emerging factors. So another sector the Federal, State and Local Governments should encourage youths to explore and harness the abounding potentials, in my considered view, is Agriculture. Agriculture remains a veritable solution to hunger, inflation, and food Insecurity that ravages the country. No doubt, the Nigeria’s arable landmass is grossly under-utilised and under-exploited.
In recent times, Nigerians have voiced their concerns about the persistent challenges of hunger, inflation, and the general increase in prices of goods and commodities. These issues not only affect the livelihoods of individuals and families but also pose significant threats to food security and economic stability in the country. The United Nations estimated that more than 25 million people in Nigeria could face food insecurity this year—a 47% increase from the 17 million people already at risk of going hungry, mainly due to ongoing insecurity, protracted conflicts, and rising food prices. An estimated two million children under five are likely to be pushed into acute malnutrition. (Reliefweb ,2023). In response, Nigeria declared a state of emergency on food insecurity, recognizing the urgent need to tackle food shortages, stabilize rising prices, and protect farmers facing violence from armed groups. However, without addressing the insecurity challenges, farmers will continue to struggle to feed their families and boost food production.
In addition, parts of northwest and northeast Nigeria have experienced changes in rainfall patterns making less water available for crop production. These climate change events have resulted in droughts and land degradations; presenting challenges for local communities and leading to significant impact on food security. In light of these daunting challenges, it is imperative to address the intricate interplay between insecurity and agricultural productivity. Nigeria can work toward ensuring food security, reducing poverty, and fostering sustainable economic growth in its vital agricultural sector. In this article, I suggest solutions that could enhance agricultural production and ensure that every state scales its agricultural production to a level where it can cater to 60% of the population.
This is feasible and achievable if government at all levels are intentional driving the development of the agricultural sector which was the major economic mainstay of the Country before the crude oil was struck in commercial quantity and consequently became the nation’s monolithic revenue source. Government should revive the moribund Graduate Farmers Scheme and the Rivers State School-to-Land agricultural programmes to operate concurrently with other skills acquisition and development programmes. There should be a consideration for investment in mechanized farming and arable land allocation. State and local governments should play a pivotal role in promoting mechanized farming and providing arable land for farming in communities. Additionally, allocating arable land enables small holder farmers to expand their operations and contribute to food security at the grassroots level.
Nigeria can unlock the potential of its agricultural sector to address the pressing needs of its population and achieve sustainable development. Policymakers and stakeholders must heed Akande’s recommendations and take decisive action to ensure a food-secure future for all Nigerians.
By: Igbiki Benibo