UDC: 782(669.1)
351.853(669.1)
COBISS.SR-ID 109564169
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Received: Dec 29, 2022
Reviewed: Jan 17, 2023
Accepted: Jan 22, 2023
Towards Revitalisation of Yoruba Folk Opera
for Preservation of Yoruba Culture
Sunday Olufemi Akande
Department of Performing Arts
Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria
[email protected]
Department of Performing Arts
Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria
[email protected]
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Citation: Akande, Sunday O. 2023. "Towards Revitalisation of Yoruba Folk Opera for Preservation of Yoruba Culture." Accelerando: Belgrade Journal of Music and Dance 8:7
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Abstract
An examination of the Nigerian society discloses the challenge the Yoruba’s cultural system faces. Daily, our moral and cultural values are being challenged by Western ideologies and culture. This is especially propagated in our media, which set agendas for our society based on Western ideologies. This research advocates for reviving Yoruba folk opera for preserving Yoruba culture. The study used the data obtained from one hundred audience who watched a folk opera, Oba Waja (The King is Dead), written by Duro Ladipo, and staged by students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye. It briefly discusses some features of selected exponents of Yoruba folk opera. Findings from the study show that there has not been a lot of performance or production of Yoruba Opera in recent years, but the few ones examined showcased core Yoruba values and culture, such as respect, modesty, honesty, dignity of labor and more. However, there are many missing gaps to fill to preserve the great heritage of Nigerians, specifically Yoruba people and culture, in encouraging the proliferation of Yoruba folk opera and thus contributing to the preservation of Yoruba culture. The study recommends that the writing and production of Yoruba Folk Operas should receive good sponsorship by Yoruba rulers and the wealthy people of Yoruba, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora. By doing so, folk opera will be revitalized, and its relevance will be felt in the preservation of Yoruba culture. The study also calls for diversification among filmmakers, as well as collaboration of music and drama experts for concurrent productions of Yoruba folk opera, featuring as part of home videos, and incorporation of subtitles for the sake of Yoruba language learners.
Keywords: revitalisation, Yoruba, Folk Opera, preservation of culture |
Introduction
Foreign cultures invade Nigerian culture through various communication systems like films. History has shown that the intrusion of Western culture into so-called third world nations, like Nigeria, through communication facilities, has always been rampant. This is because the Nigerian people have been exposed to a wide range of programs and communication contents, which have in turn molded their thought pattern, belief, system and actions. This means our culture has been twisted and contaminated by interference with Western values and ideologies. Cultures are defined as the total way of life and are an integral part of any society. They stand for the sum-total existence of a particular group of people dealing with their past, their present, and a projected insight into their immediate and distant future.
It is reflected in their way of life, ranging from religion, system of government, language, attitudes, their dressing code, their expression of emotion and sadness. Accordingly, culture is the totality of the way of life of a people. Nigeria is a country rich in land, people and culture. Its uniqueness lies mainly on its culture. It is not only the most populous country, but also the most culturally diverse black nation. This brings us to the issues of the potency of indigenous opera in the preservation of culture in Nigeria. Nigerian culture has suffered untold damage over the past years due to cultural imperialism. It greatly influenced society via communication facilities like radio, films, etc. Due to this, the Nigerian people have embraced Western culture. Since culture is an integral part of society and cannot be forgone, this study expresses the importance of the medium as an instrument for the preservation of Nigerian culture through indigenous opera production. Culture is as old as man. It probably was created from man’s desire to live in an organized world. Every society has a culture to hold on to. Nigeria is perhaps one of the most culturally diverse countries in Africa, with over 300 ethnic groups, each with their own uniqueness. An x-ray of the Nigerian society will reveal a picture of cultural infection, which is gradually decaying. All these are borne out of the fact that we have not understood our culture enough to uphold its values. Apart from the fact that this has brought untold crises, pain and hardship on the Nigerian people, it has also stunted the growth of this sector culture. There is a need to look into this problem and proffer solutions. This brings us to the role of an indigenous opera in preserving culture. The introduction of films into our society has seldom failed to shake centuries-old cultural practices, simple lifestyles, social integration and economic pattern. Often the benefits of modern communications, which disseminate unfamiliar, vivid, absorbing information and entertainment originated in urban centers and more often than not from foreign places, have been accompanied by negative influence, which can dramatically disturb established orders. It should be noted that not only are the media, but also messages important, and conditions must be created for the national mass media and communication system to carry the cultural message of the nation. Communication systems and the way they are used can pose a threat to cultural identity in most countries. Although, communication is not only an influence on culture, but also an integral part of it. The development of a national communication system can help foster a thriving national culture. The importance of any organ of the mass media in society cannot be underestimated, as it stands as a medium of communication. Film is perhaps the most universally appealing and more effective. A well written and planned opera rises above certain barriers by its use of pictures, music and sound, conveying messages to people or audiences of different backgrounds. What this means is that what we fail to understand through our traditional media is what we understand through film (Enahoro 2009). They are concerned with the distribution of power in society and the dominance of certain interests over others. Therefore, if music and drama are powerful media of communication, it means an opera could be more effective in communicating a people’s culture to them. For a long time, the Nigerian people have been exposed to foreign cultures via communication media. It is therefore assumed that to correct this, an effective tool of communication must be utilized, and film is that medium. They have the power to re-direct and reposition the psyche of an average man. The power of music and drama on its audience makes it a viable tool for preserving culture. Theoretical Framework
This study is based on Cultural Imperialism theory. The theory has been found relevant to this paper. The term imperialism always provokes negative reactions; it refers to a real dilemma that pits western nations against those of the third word. According to Dennis (1983), media imperialism results in cultural imperialism and implants western ideas and values, thus upsetting natural evolutionary development. Culture as a word is credited to the British anthropologist, Sir Edward Taylor. He defined culture as that complex unit, which includes knowledge, belief, art, moral, low, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Of more relevance to this discussion is the definition by the World Book Encyclopedia. It reads that culture consists of all the ideas, objects and ways of doing things created by a group. These include arts, beliefs, custom innovations, language technology and tradition. Culture also consists of learned ways of acting, feeling and thinking, rather than biologically determined ways.
This definition emphasizes that the greater, more influential part of what makes culture is acquired or learned, not inborn or innate. The implication of this is that culture could be learned, acquired, experienced or transferred from one place to another through various ways. One of the most influential ways is through opera. Concept of Culture
Culture is as old as man. It can be traced back to the very beginning of man’s existence. Thus, it has many definitions and meanings as perceived by different people. It could mean a way of life of a people, or reason for the existence of a people, etc. According to the Penguin English Dictionary (Opubor et al. 1979), culture is defined as improvement of mental faculties, refined taste or judgments, high intellectuals, and aesthetic development of a group characterized by a special level of material achievement.
Culture is a way of life which people have fashioned for themselves. It includes their art, science, and all their social transition, including their system of beliefs and rituals. Culture should not be seen only in terms of Music, Dance, Drama, and Arts. It is the intertwining of the artistic fibers of a nation, with the science and religion of its people, the law and moral expectations of the community, the wisdom of their past and the education of their present and future. According to Opubor et al. (1979) culture is defined as a vast apparatus, partly material, partly human and partly spiritual, by which societies are organized into permanent and recognizable groups. Culture is a way of life of a people, their identity and life wire. It has gone beyond idol worshiping, since whenever its concept is discussed, what readily comes to the mind of an average African is the picture of his fore bears dancing around giant trees in sacrificial worship, or otherwise the picture of a Sango man casting spells and mouthing incantations in the process of some unholy ritual (Ibanga 1993). Culture is the language of the people, their lifestyle and existence. Therefore, no culture should be termed inferior or superior. As posited by (Ibanga 1993). It is the totality of knowledge and behavior, ideas and objects that constitute the common heritage of a people, “culture is not primitiveness or barbarism”. Since the colonial era to this present age, the white man has succeeded in stuffing the minds of Africans with Western values and interiority complexes, and this has made them regard their culture as barbaric and themselves as a people without a recognizable past, a turban present, and a bleak future without perception, ability, hope or intellect (Enahoro 2009). Nigeria possesses a culture, which reflects the people’s way of life, just as any other culture. It includes the process of birth, growing up, carving riches for oneself, passing through and fulfilling obligations in the different phases of existence, and pursuing attitudes and attributes that will make one an acceptable member of society or put one at war with his neighbors, depending on the interaction factors. Culture of an individual is confined to the culture of the society, and/or the society to which that individual belongs. According to Elliot (cited in Enahoro 2009), the cultural ethics theory is based in society and the culture of a nation, as opposed to nature: …an individual is shaped by his or her culture…and finds that being part of the culture club provides an ethical security. Culture influences individuals in society, it directs their pattern of thinking and behaviors to what it wants them to do. Culture is not limited to music, dance, the law and moral expectations of the community, the wisdom of their past, and the education of the present and the future. Globally, the importance of heritages to countries and even in developing nations like Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized. This is due to its economic, historical, tourist, aesthetic, educational and research significance. Nigeria Cultural Heritage
Nigeria is endowed with both types of heritages. “Nigeria is a country located in the eastern part of West Africa” (Aremu 2008, 175). Geographically, Nigeria occupies a space of 923,768 square km. It is the most populated (over 140 million based on the 2006 census figures) multi-ethnic and multi-lingual country in Africa, with over 250 ethnic groups. It has the Igbo to the East, the Yoruba to the West and the Hausa-Fulani to the North as major ethnic groups among other perceived ‘minor’ ethnic groups. Ecological or natural heritages originate from nature and environment.
Ecological heritages can be defined as the relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with its wild plants (flora) and animals (fauna) and its geomorphic features (caves, rivers, lakes, hills, mountains, cataracts) conserved for the specific objectives of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery which it affords (Duke 2008; Eluyemi 2002). It is imperative to state that ecological heritage is outside the scope of this paper. Therefore, my focus will be on the second type of heritage mentioned above, which is a cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Cultural heritages evolve from man’s ingenious activities, preserved and transmitted through oral traditions or in written concrete forms across generations of human societies. Oral tradition is the body of information concerning the history, culture and environment of a people at any given time and space. This information is often obtained through the words of mouth. It is also a set of verbally transmitted pieces of information about the experiences and worldviews of a people. These experiences and worldviews are preserved in the memories of the group of people and transmitted from one generation to another (Ogundele 2000). Most oral traditions obtained through ethnographic studies have been confirmed by archaeological and historical findings (Fasuyi 1973). The clan and village heads, kings, chiefs, deity priests, aged/older men and women serve as repositories and custodians of their oral traditions. They include traditional proverbs, tales, dance by moon lights (known as akukoifo/egwuonwu among the Igbo of eastern Nigeria), adages, lullabies, poems, riddles, incantations, praise songs such as oriki, recitals of traditional religions like the Ifa verses among the Yoruba of western Nigeria, and other facets of their individual community’s cultural heritages. Oral tradition has proved to be a useful instrument for professionals like the archaeologists and ethnographers in locating and identifying cultural heritage sites/areas for further studies and preservation. Cultural heritage is, however, limited to man-made artifacts and ideologies (Eluyemi op. cit.). Cultural heritages can be defined as the sum total of the people’s cherished arts, customs, festivals, sacred or worship sites, norms, values, ideologies, dress and dress-patterns, traditional monuments, and architectures, technology and technological sites and other artifacts which are cherished and conserved for their historical, political, educational, recreational and religious significance, among others. Cultural heritages are therefore the sum of material and non-material cultures of a particular society transmitted across generations. Historical Dimensions to the Preservation of Nigerian Cultural Heritages
Nigeria is distinguished in sub-Saharan Africa because of her “rich manifestations of vast cultural heritages” of the past (Sowunmi 2008). Most of the artifacts and collections from remarkable culture areas in Nigeria are displayed in museums and galleries all over the world. This is because they were consciously preserved. Eluyemi (2002) defined preservation as “the promotion of cultural property, whether of concrete or non-concrete nature, past or present, written or unwritten/oral”. He further posits that preservation involves the identification, documentation (appropriate registration) and proper storage of cultural objects, whether in private hands or in museums.
The preservation of Nigerian cultural heritages is arguably threatened by human activities, natural forces, biological and chemical agents, among others (Ogundele 2014; Okpoko, 2011). However, the little successes made over the years in the preservation of Nigerian cultural heritages have been attributed to conscious systematic and scientific efforts, and research conducted by professionals in archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, ethnography, palynology, paleontology, geology, geography, museum studies, and other disciplines, and cultural resource managers (Ogundele 2014; Onwuka 2002; Andah et al. 1993; Okpoko 2011). Preservation is important because it promotes the past ways of life that are useful to contemporary societies. Arguably, the past is fundamentally the key to the present and platform into the future. An understanding of the preservation of Nigerian cultural heritages can best be described in three dimensions, namely the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial. Nigerian cultural heritages during the pre-colonial era were preserved in royal palaces of tribal kingdoms and empires by kings, heads of families and kindred, deity priests in charge of shrines and sacred grooves, among others (Fasuyi 1973). Cultural activities, arts and festivals were managed by the traditional rulers and chiefs in council through delegation of powers to talented specialists. For instance, the carvers made masks for masquerades, the traditional costume designers made royal regalia, beads and dresses, other crafts makers made baskets, local talking drums and other musical instruments; the music and dance specialists made music, praise songs to celebrate valiant warriors and trained dancers for annual festivals. These skills were preserved through oral tradition, and training was handed over from generation to generation. This generational pattern of preserving Nigerian cultural heritages was completely or partially truncated in most parts of Nigeria due to the unsolicited incursion of colonialism. Colonialism ushered in an era of unrestricted negative human activities, such as looting, vandalism, thefts, unscientific excavation of grave goods, iconoclasm, wars, illicit trafficking of cultural objects, among others. The period 1900 to 1960 marked the era of colonization in Nigeria (Ibid.). The most remarkable of these destructive human activities on Nigerian cultural heritage occurred during the punitive expedition in 1897, when the British colonial administration attacked the Benin culture area, looted the rich bronze works and art treasures of the Benin royal palace, and exiled the King to Calabar where he later died in 1914 (Eluyemi 2002; Aremu 2008; Fasuyi 1973). Colonialism thus waned the influence of traditional rulers and their role in preserving Nigerian cultural heritages. For instance, during the colonial period, western educational systems were introduced to replace traditional educational systems such as Irumgbede among the Igbo. In schools, English language and foreign literatures were taught and read at the disadvantage of Nigerian indigenous languages (Fasuyi op. cit.). The current status of Nigerian indigenous linguistic heritages is best described as endangered, and they are arguably almost at the verge of extinction. Also, missionaries introduced Christianity, which relegated and designated Nigerian traditional religions as idol worship, and branded practitioners as heathens and unbelievers (Eluyemi op. cit.). Traditional poets, praise-singers, clowns, comedians, and dramatists, in the entertainment industry, as well as traditional dance and dancers, songs, music, and local costumes, musical instruments such as drums, in the king’s courts, have been replaced with Western music, foreign dance styles, foreign dress and dress patterns, Western musical instruments such as bands, microphones, guitars, pianos, etc. All these mindless replacements continued without Nigerians knowing its implications until a few expatriated sensed the need to preserve Nigerian cultural heritage during the colonial era (Eluyemi 2002; Fasuyi 1973). The Potency of Yoruba Opera in Preserving Yoruba Culture
Opera performs a double functional role, the main objective being to affect man’s emotions. Music and drama as an art form, as well as an instrument for persuasion, instruction and entertainment, is like a bullet, with force to conquer or at least live a mark for the record. It is a documentary of the consciousness of culture. Galvanizing or fusing all forces into a concrete charger that reconstructs the mind of the people.
Yoruba Opera is a custodian of the people’s primordial consciousness. It exposes, liberates exposes, unites, reproaches, reprimands, scorns, and can applaud and attract attention, either for positive or negative reactions. This makes it stand out as unique from other forms of mass media. Our culture is fast eroding into oblivion. As a matter of urgency, it is to uphold these cultures visually through films to avoid extinction by civilization. Though radio and television may be used for the same purpose, film has an edge over the rest because it directly communicates with the people and reaches the nook and cranny of the country. Music and drama have an inexplicable bond between itself and the audience, as the audience willingly suspends disbelief when viewing an opera. It also employs the concept of ‘verisimilitude’ or realism in the narratives. This captures the audience's mind and value in totality. Considering the works of Hubert Ogunde, who was a pioneer of Nigerian folk opera, which is a drama in which music play indigenous culture attire speaks eloquence of Yoruba identity. During the 1960s and ’70s his plays became an important part of the urban pop culture of Western Africa. Examples of his works are: Ọba ko so and Ọba Waja in 1964 (The King is Dead). It is important to also note that many of Ogunde’s later folk operas were basically popular musicals featuring jazzy rhythms, fashionable dance routines, and contemporary satire. Through this format, he set an example for a successful commercial theater and prepared audiences all over Nigeria for his followers. This alone made it appealing to the audience. Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola works also combines Christian themes with traditional Yoruba folklore, music and dancing, and music popular in urban culture into a serious theater form through his work with his Ogunmola traveling theater Tutuola's The Palm-Drinkard, Ogunmola also produced Ife Owo (Love of Money) in 1965. It was a satire on marriage and wealth. He used Mime, singing, as well as drumming, to convey his message. Also, Ayanfe, written by April Atinuke Koyejo, is an opera loosely based on Yoruba fairytales and legends, stories often told to her when she was a child by her mother. April sought to continue the oral tradition by rewriting the stories for the operatic stage. The music, composed by Pierre Audiger, takes inspiration from the folklore, with an honest yet exciting rendition of Yoruba folk music reimagined in a western classical style. The opera infuses the Yoruba idea of “Folk Opera”, a format that emerged in Nigeria in the 1940’s, with western classical music, to tell the story of Ayanfe, the Huntress who recaptures the Oòrùn Ilẹ̀ (The Sun in Ground). The Yoruba storytelling technique is infused with classical music to create an exciting operatic theater piece. The work is a multidisciplinary, collaborative, interactive performance with a magnetic cast, combining Brazilian, Cuban and Nigerian, Yoruba elements of dance, narration and talking drums, supported by an ensemble of Western classical and Ballet Dancers, Singers and Ensembles. The aesthetics of the piece in the Yoruba storytelling techniques are highly important. The use of masquerades, accessories and costumes inspired and reimagined for the show refreshes the Western classical opera style, creating an atmosphere that allows the audience to truly experience the Yoruba storytelling. Data Analysis and Discussion of Findings 
TABLE 1. GENDER
In the above table, the frequency and percentage distribution of the respondents’ gender is outlined. Of the one hundred respondents, twenty more representing twenty-nine percent were males. While the remaining seventy-one representing seventy-one percent were females. 
TABLE 2. STATISTICS ON EDUCATIONAL STATUS
In the above table, the frequency and percentage distribution of respondent’s educational qualifications is outlined. From one hundred respondents, twenty percent 20% had Ph.D, fourteen percent 14% had MA/M.Sc, twelve percent 12% were holders of B.Sc./B. A, fifty persons’ percent were undergraduates. Those with other qualifications not specified in the questionnaire were ten, accounting for 10 percent.
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Table 3: Research Question one: Are Opera important instruments in the preservation of a people’s culture? |
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The table above shows the mean score on the information obtained on the power of the film medium. Five terms sort the respondent’s assessment, in which all variables were accepted. The weighty decision in item one, two, three, four and five, which translates into three point ninety-four, four point sixty-eight, three point sixty-one, three point forty-three and four point eight respectively, approves the claim that Yoruba opera is an effective tool in preserving culture.
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Table 4: Research Question two: Can the Nigeria Folk Opera portray a rich heritage of the Yoruba Culture?
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The table above shows the mean score on the information obtained on the effectiveness of Yoruba Opera in promoting the rich heritage of the Yoruba culture. Five items sort the respondent’s assessment, in which three variables were translated into four point two, three point seventy-five, and three point twenty-nine affirms that Opera has succeeded in promoting the rich heritage of Yoruba culture. However, item one and four indicates that the Nigerian Film Industry has not done enough to preserve the Yoruba culture.
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Table 5: Research question three: if managed properly, can Yoruba Opera proliferate the culture of the Yoruba people?
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The table above shows the mean score on the information obtained on the power of Yoruba Opera in propagating the culture of the Yoruba people. Five items sort the respondent’s assessment, in which all variables were accepted. The decision in all items one, two, three, four and five, which translates into four point seven, four point ninety-seven, three point eight, three point eighty-one and four point forty-two respectively, indicates that if Yoruba Opera performance is pronounced, it will effectively broadcast and sustain the heritage of the Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora.
From the findings above, it is evident that the Nigerian Film Industry has not succeeded in utilizing the powerful medium of opera, in preserving the culture of the people and avoiding a decay. It is possible that the late entry of the Yoruba people into film making is responsible for this development. However, it is not too late. Yoruba people have rich ethnic cultures, which can be exploited and promoted through the film medium. There are various tourist attractions, cultures, etc., that can be turned into Opera. Yoruba people have a promising future in this regard, if only our film industry develops. And until that is done, Yoruba people might not have a place culturally in the world. Conclusion
The greatest resource of any country is its people, backed up by values, tradition and culture which they believe in. No country, irrespective of its size, population, resource or visible physical development, can call itself great or developed unless it takes care of its people. These people should be allowed to make decisions based on their own socio-cultural and political environment, for the betterment of the living condition of both the individual and the group. According to Orewere (2007), the communication sector has faced a number of problems and constraints in terms of lack of communication facilities, relevant quality technology assessment, finance and manpower, which has slowed its progress.
Therefore, the study concludes that there will be no cultural development in society without a sound and liable means of presenting, educating and promoting the cultures in society. We have to realize and appreciate the power and virility of the Yoruba Operas and maximize it to the fullest as our culture is concerned. This improvement should translate into concrete steps by mentoring upcoming artists and ensuring it is part of the repertoire for production workshops in all Nigeria Institutions and the building of Cinema Theatre. This action can upgrade the popularity of Yoruba Opera and promote culture through it as a respected mass media in Nigeria. Yoruba Opera should also feature consistently on media stations with incorporation of sub-titles for the sake of Yoruba language learners. The Yoruba traditional leaders and stakeholders in Yoruba State must be responsible for setting up structures for the training of professionally trained opera writers and artists for the promotion, growth and sustenance of the Yoruba folk opera. This is necessary, because an Opera remains the vilest medium for the preservation of cultures. Government must collaborate with the private sector to encourage indigenous film making, especially in projects that seek to promote our culture and heritage. This will in turn make room for the mass production of Yoruba Operas and will properly showcase our culture to the outside world. Government in collaboration with the private sector promotes the culture of Opera viewing. Nigeria's primary, secondary and higher institutions should also incorporate operatic performances into their curriculum. |
References
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Belgrade Center for Music and Dance is the publisher of Accelerando: BJMD
Belgrade Center for Music and Dance is the publisher of Accelerando: BJMD
