Female musicianship in African music studies: Baluu and Kengbe music of Ilorin people as paradigms.
Loading...
Date
2021-07-22
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists (SONTA)
Abstract
Over time, scholars and researchers in African music, culture and performance
studies have raised opinions on the dearth of research and marginalisation of the
female gender in African musicology. Hence, this study finds the need to fill this
lacuna and bring studies on female musicianship in African music to the fore,
using indigenous Baluu and Kengbe music of the Ilorin people as paradigms.
Through the descriptive method, field observation of the performances of Iyabo
Awero, a Baluu musician in Ilorin, Egbe Onikengbe of Magaji Nda family house in
Ilorin, Kwara State and review of literatures, this study discovered that Baluu and
Kengbe music are female oral musical arts unique to the cultural and social life of
the Ilorin people. Through music, history is documented in their song texts and
transferred orally to generations. These indigenous forms are entertaining yet
didactic as they are used to chastise immoralities, indecency, indiscipline and other
sociocultural issues. This study concludes that indigenous music is pivotal to the
growth and development of a society. Women who are key players in indigenous
African music performance such as Baluu and Kengbe musicians contribute a lot
to the knowledge of indigenous cultural and social values.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Ibitoye, O.J. (2021): Female musicianship in African music studies: Baluu and Kengbe music of Ilorin people as paradigms. Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists (SONTA) 21(1) 102-115. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357533018_FEMALE_MUSICIANSHIP_IN_AFRICAN_MUSIC_STUDIES_BALUU_AND_KENGBE_MUSIC_OF_ILORIN_PEOPLE_AS_PARADIGMS