THE ROLE OF THE YORUBA TALKING DRUM IN SOCIAL MOBILIZATION
THE ROLE OF THE YORUBA TALKING DRUM IN SOCIAL MOBILIZATION
'Bade
Ajayi[1]
Credit: Prof L. O. Adewole
Yoruba for academic purpose
1.
INTRODUCTION
In Yoruba
society, the talking[2]
drum is an important musical instrument used on different occasions and for
different purposes. A drum can be used at various social, religious and
ceremonial functions not only to entertain the public or communicate a thought,
but also to motivate members of the audience. The Yoruba talking drum,
particularly the dùndún and bàtá, can be of good service in
commercial advertisements and at political campaigns. Much as the Yoruba
talking drum is a source of humour and enjoyment, it can also be a powerful cause
of provocation, rebellion and war, depending on the drummer and the situation.
The aim of this paper is to examine the Yoruba talking drum as a powerful means
of exciting and motivating the listeners to achieve specific goals. We want to
see how a drummer, in his capacity as a mass communicator, can use his musical
instrument to mobilize members of the society to react, either positively or
negatively, to a given situation. The research for this study was carried out
by means of personal observation and participation. Our own training and
experience in the art of drumming was also utilized. Some data were collected
on a tape recorder and transcribed and used for part of the analysis in this
study.
The Yoruba
talking drums are of various types. The most popular drums are the membranous
ones such as the dùndún, bàtá, bẹ̀ǹbẹ́, gbẹ̀du, kósó, igbin, ìpèsè, àgẹ̀rẹ̀,
koriboto, and bàtàkoto. Like the drum, the flutes (fèrè), trumpets
(kàkàkí), gong (agogo) and cymbals (aro) are also recognised as part of the
Yoruba musical instruments. Of all these drums, the ones we find most useful
for this study are the dùndún. bàtá, bẹ̀ǹbẹ́ and gbẹ̀du and perhaps the
metallic drums such as the gong. We shall specifically examine how these drums
can be used to mobilize the people to fight, work and perform some other useful
functions in the community.
2. THE SERVICE OF YORUBA TALKING DRUMS IN WAR
In the past,
there were series of civil and intertribal wars among the Yoruba. The
war-chief, Balógun, and his men were always fully armed to enable them
defeat their enemies. Apart from the war weapons such as guns, spears, arrows
and some iron implements, the army bands were accompanied by drummers. Popular
among the drums used for this purpose are the bẹ̀ǹbẹ́, kàkàkí, fèrè and the
dùndún. Each of these musical instruments gives very high pitches and/or heavy
sound such that the drummers could stand and perform at a considerable distance
from the battle-field.
The main
function of the drummers at war is to establish excitement and motivation in
the fighting soldiers and thus encourage them to defeat their opponents. In
doing this, the drummers or flute players shower praises on the war-chief or
leader. The praise might include the leader's personal oríkì 'praise names' or that of his lineage and
ancestors to make the praised feel proud and fight more gallantly. Some bands
had in the past used this medium to a great advantage.
In the Yoruba
inter-tribal wars for instance, Akíntọ́là, one of the most powerful war lords
of Ibadan, was fond of using drum signals to mobilize his army. His usual
war-cry was kìnìún oníbùdó (the lion of the Lord of the camp). But quite
unfortunately, Fabunmi of Òkè-Ìmẹ̀sí, an opponent war-leader counterfeited
Akíntọ́la's drum signal to the effect that the former defeated the latter at
the Jalumi war[3].
In Igbó Olódùmarè,
one of Fagunwa's novels, it was the bẹ̀ǹbẹ́ and gángan drums played by the
demons (iwin) that motivated and assisted Olówó-Aiyé to defeat Anjọ̀nnu-Ibẹ̀rù
when the two of them were fighting. They use their drums to say:
(1). Olówó-Aiyé, Olówó-Aiyé, digbò lù ú
Kọlù ú, dìgbò lù ú, kọlù ú,
Ọmọ Akọ̀wédìran, ọmọ Akọ̀wédìran,
Olówó-aiyé
Olówó-aiyé, o kò le ṣe bí i baba rẹ
ndan?
(Fagunwa
1949:38)
Olowo-aiye, Olowo-aiye, attack him,
fight him, attack him, fight him,
the offspring of Akowediran, Olowo-Aiye
Olowo-aiye, can't you act like your
father?
As the drummers repeatedly called
Olówó-Aiyé, motivated him, praised him, making reference to his father's power,
they encouraged him to defeat Anjonnu-Iberu. Another example is that in Ògbójú
Odù Nínú Igbó Irúnmọ́lẹ́ where the melodious sound of the drum which
Àkàrà-Oògùn played attracted many spirits in the forest. The king of the
spirits was so excited, so moved that he was forced to dance and give his
daughter in marriage to Àkàrà-Oògùn, the hero in the novel.
3.
THE YORUBA TALKING DRUM IN RELIGIOUS SERVICES
The three main
religions in Nigeria today are Islam, Christianity and African Traditional
Religion, each of which employs the service of the Yoruba talking drum. During
the annual festivals attached to these religions, different drums are played
not only to entertain the people around, but to motivate the adherents of each
religious belief system. Bẹ̀ǹbẹ́ drum is commonly used by the Muslims
and the Christians, not only in religious activities but also in schools to
motivate the young ones. When Christianity was first introduced to Ọwọ in
Ladele's (1971) Jẹ́ N Lògbà Tèmi, for example, it was the Bẹ̀ǹbẹ́ that
the Church leaders played to get more converts. When the devotees of the Yoruba
divinities play specific sacred music like igbin, ìpèsè àgẹ̀rẹ̀ and bàtá,
they do not only invoke the presence of the gods but also activate
themselves and invite people around. Just as the babaláwo 'Ifa priest'
can summon Ifa devotees and the members of the community with the agogo 'gong',
hunters can use the same talking instrument to inform and invite people to go
hunting. When an Ọba or Baálẹ̀ has an important message for the people of his
community, it is the agogo that his messengers or his attendants would
strike to summon the people before voicing out the Oba’s message.
4.
THE YORUBA TALKING DRUM IN COMMUNAL LABOUR
Every Yoruba
community engages in one type of communal labour or the other for the
development of the towns and villages. This type of work includes road
construction, path clearing and the erection of important buildings such as the
mosque, the church, the shrine or a town hall. Other kinds of communal labour
include the building of a school, a post office and most importantly for a kind
of cooperative work called ọ̀wẹ̀[4] in
Yoruba.
To carry out the
ọ̀wẹ̀ or any manual labour successfully, there is the need to motivate
and mobilize members of the society so that they can join hands to do the work.
This is where the service of the Yoruba talking drum comes in. The kàn-nàngó,
gángan and bàtá with very high pitch are often used to encourage the people
concerned to work happily for a long period of time. It could be regarded as
"music while you work". Here, there is need to draw attention to the
use of the Yoruba talking drum, usually the bàtá for MAMSER's[5]
assignment of rural development. The officers in charge employ this technique
to gather a large number of people in the community before any manual labour is
assigned to them. From our findings, the method has proved very successful.
5. THE YORUBA TALKING DRUM IN COMMERCIAL
ADVERTISMENT
Besides the
radio, television and newspapers, the Yoruba talking drum can be successfully
employed for the advertisement of different goods. As soon as some salesmen get
to a market or any other place where they want to promote the sales of their
goods, what they do first is to use the bàtá or dùndún drum to
call the attention of the people. The sudden sound of the drum excites the
people and the salesmen advertise their wares for the people to buy. To make it
funny and humorous, the salesmen might dance to the rhythm of the talking drum
or any other musical instrument.
In the past,
when the Alarinjó 'travelling theatre group' wanted to perform, what
they would do first would be to play the bàtá or dùndún to invite
the people. Today, if a theatre group wants to display in a particular town or
village, what the musical group does first is to play round the community so
that people are aware of its presence. Nigerian theatre groups such as Oyin
Adéjọbí, Jimọ̀ Aliu and Isọla Ogunsọlá have pulled a large crowd through
this medium.
6.
THE YORUBA TALKING DRUM AT POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
It is a common
practice that our politicians sing some political songs before they start
campaigning for the support of the society. To make a success of any political
campaign, the Yoruba talking drum, particularly the dùndún is played to
lead a number of rebellious songs. Late Alhaji Adélabú Adégòkè and Chief Ládòkè
Akintọ́lá, among the Nigerian popular politicians, employed the services of Yoruba taking drummers to a great advantage. Alhaji
Tijani Ayanlọla of Ẹdẹ, an àpàlà music exponent was one of the popular Yoruba talking
drum players in the days
of Adelabu and Akintola. The common slogan signaling the fact that a drummer
wants to lead a song is gídígbò gídígbò: ó gberin à bẹ́ ò gberin? (members
of the audience: will you chant a chorus or not?). As soon as the audience replies, A ó gberin (we shall sing the
chorus), the drummer beats the song that fits a particular occasion and the
people sing after the drum. An example of the political songs is:
(2) Dẹmọ n mo
wà
Dẹmọ n mo wà
Dẹmọ n mo wà
Bó bá dẹ̀ mi
tán,
A tún dẹ
mọ mi
Dẹmọ n mo
wà
(Ogunsina,
1985:12)
I am in the
Democratic Party,
I am in the
Democratic Party
When life is
easy for me,
It will also
be easy for my children,
I am in the
Democratic Party.
In this
context, a picture of ease and contentment is being painted. Another example is
a song in which the physical and metaphysical features of Chief Ọbafẹ́mi Awolọ́wọ̀ are glaringly depicted. It runs thus:
(3) Awólọ́wọ̀
Baba Láyínká
Bọ́rọ́bọ́rọ́ ló ń yọ
Bọ́rọ́bọ́rọ́ ló ń yọ
Kó ṣeé pa,
Kó ṣee ju
lóògùn
Bọ́rọ́bọ́rọ́
ló ń yọ́.
(Ogunsina
1985:13)
Awolowo,
father of Layinka,
Slippery,
always slippery
He cannot be
killed,
He cannot be
poisoned
Slippery,
that's what he is!
7. NEGATIVE
EFFECTS OF THE TALKING DRUM
Since the talking drum is used for mass mobilization,
people can be mobilized to react not only positively but also negatively. An
example of the negative effect of the Yoruba talking drum is the bloody Ọyọ́
riot of 1954[6][7].
This great riot which claimed many lives was started by the effect of some
rebellious songs played on the drum. Two
of such songs are:
(4) Nínú
igbó l’ọ̀pẹ ń gbé,
Enìkan kì í kọ́lé adẹ́tẹ̀ sígboro,
Nínú igbó l’ọ́pẹ ń gbé.
It is only in the forest that the palm
tree lives
No one builds a leper-colony in the city
It is only in the forest that the palm
tree lives
(5) Ẹgbẹ́
ọlọ́pẹ
Tọmọtọmọ lẹ ó ṣòfò
Ẹ ó ṣòfò láyé,
Ẹ ó sòfò lọ́run,
Tọmọtọmọ lẹ ó ṣòfò
The Action Group Party supporters,
You will perish children and all
You will perish on earth,
You will perish in heaven
You will perish, children and all.
At a
performance, a drummer may utter any unbearable statement that could injure the
feeling of the celebrant's neighbour thus creating enmity where it had not
existed before. An example of such a statement that readily comes to mind is:
(6) Kò leè jáde,
Kò leè
jáde
Kẹ́nimọ́nií
tìlẹ̀kùn mọ́rí
Kò leé jáde
He cannot come out
He cannot come out
The selfish man locks himself up
He cannot come out.
When this and a
number of other offending statements are repeated over and over in the same
vicinity, many people in that environ may feel that they are being referred to.
8. CONCLUSION
This paper has
been concerned with the role that the Yoruba talking drum plays in the social
mobilization of the Nigerian Society. We have attempted to show that the Yoruba
talking drum is not used for entertainment alone but also for establishing
excitement and motivation to effect social mobilization. Music is a morale
booster and an effective means of enhancing team spirit and coordination in
war, manual labour, and commercial advertisement. As we have attempted to
demonstrate in this study, the Yoruba talking drum is a powerful weapon in the
hands of our political leaders especially when they go out to campaign. It also
plays a great and significant role in the social mobilization of the Yoruba
society even in spite of the invasion of the society by European standards.
REFERENCES
Ajayi, Bade.
(1985), 'Aspects of the
Aesthetics of the Yoruba Talking Drum', Proceedings
of the Fourth Annual Congress of the
Nigerian Folklore Society held at
Qbafẹ́mi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife, Nigeria, pp. 494-515.
Ajayi,
Bade (1988), ‘The Training of the Talking Drummer', ALORE: The Ilorin Journal of
Humanities 3&4:86-104.
Ajayi, Bade (1989), 'Yoruba Palace
Entertainment Crew: The Alaafin Palace Example', Nigeria Magazine, 57, 3/4:
60-67.
Euba. Akin (1974), 'Dundun Music of the
Yoruba'. Ph.D. Dissertation, Legon University.
Euba, Akin (1975), 'The
Interrelationship of Poetry and Music in Yoruba Tradition', in Yoruba Oral
Tradition, edited by Wande Abimbola, Department of African Languages and
Literatures, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, pp.471-487
Fagunwa,
D.O. (1949), Igbo Olódùmarè. London: Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Fagunwa, D.O. (1950), Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irúnmọlẹ̀. London:
Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Johnson, S. (1921), The History of
the Yoruba. Lagos: CMS
Ladele, T.A.A. (1971), Je N Lògbà Tèmi. Ikeja, Nigeria:
Macmillan.
Lasisi, R.O. (forthcoming), 'Muslim Minority Traditional
Rulers During the Last Phase of British Colonialism in Nigeria: The Example of
the Alaafin of Oyo 1945-1958', Journal of the Institute of Muslim Minority
Affairs. 11,2
Nketia, J.H. (1954), “The Role of Drummers in Akan
Society', African Music 1. 1:24-43.
Nketia, J.H. (1975), The Music of Africa. London: W.W.
Morton Company.
Olaniyan, O. (1984),
'Technic in Yoruba Dùndún-Sẹ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀ Music. Ph.D. dissertation, Belfast
University.
Omojola,
O. (1983), 'Kiriboto Music in Oyo
Town'. M.A. University of Ibadan,
Ibadan, Nigeria.
[1]
This paper was published as Ajayi, Bade (1992), ‘The Role of the Yoruba Talking
Drum in Social Mobilization’, Research in
Yoruba Languages and Literature (edited by L.O. Adewole) No 3.
[2] The term "talking" is
used to describe the capability of the Yoruba drum to imitate human speech.
[3]
For details of the
celebrated battle of Ikirun, otherwise known as the Jálumi War between Ibadan and Ilorin, see S. Johnson
(1921:427-439).
[4] Any adult member of the community
may invite as many people as possible to
help him or her to do certain work such
as roofing, weaving and harvesting.
This is called ọ̀wẹ̀. It is his or her responsibility to feed those
who participate in ọ̀wẹ̀.
Comments
Post a Comment