Music of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Togo, and Benin
Yoruba music is the pattern/style of music practiced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. It is perhaps best known for its extremely advanced drumming tradition and techniques, especially using the gongon[1] hourglass shape tension drums. Yoruba folk music became perhaps the most prominent kind of West African music in Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical styles; it left an especially important influence on the music used in Santería[2] practice and the music of Cuba.[3]
The Yoruba people of south-western Nigeria are also one of the most socially diverse groups on the African continent. A major feature that sets them apart from other groups in Nigeria is their accomplishment in the arts and entertainment industry, especially in music. Jùjú, fùjì, àpàlà and sákárà music are among the popular genres of music that originated among the Yoruba people. How and when these forms of music emerged in the Nigerian music scene has remained a puzzle to historians. However, it is generally believed that these genres of music originated from popular folk music among the Yoruba people during the colonial era and gradually grew to become popular forms of music in the country after independence in 1960. This paper traces the origin and the significance of Yoruba traditional music in Nigeria as well as its roles in popularising the cultural values and heritage of the Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora. It is argued that music constitutes an important medium through which Yoruba values have been sustained in society in the face of the aggressive cultural imperialism that is fast encroaching the African continent.[4] For a comprehensive discussion of Yoruba music, see Bode Omojola's book, Yoruba Music in the Twentieth Century (University of Rochester Press, 2012).
Omele ako, batá and two dunduns. Yoruba drummers in Kwara state.
^Turino, pgs. 181–182; Bensignor, François with Eric Audra, and Ronnie Graham, "Afro-Funksters" and "From Hausa Music to Highlife" in the Rough Guide to World Music, pgs. 432–436 and pgs. 588–600; Karolyi, pg. 43
^Bata Drumming Notations Discographies Glossary: Bata Drumming & the Lucumi Santeria BembeCeremony, Scribd Online
^Conunto Folkorico Nacional De Cuba: Música Yoruba
^Babátúndé Yussuf, N.; Oladipo Olúbòmęhìn, O. (2018-07-03). "Traditional Music and the Expression of Yoruba Socio-cultural Values: A Historical Analysis". Muziki. 15 (2): 61–74. doi:10.1080/18125980.2018.1554980. ISSN 1812-5980. S2CID 218637202.
Yorubamusic is the pattern/style of music practiced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. It is perhaps best known for its extremely advanced...
The Yoruba people (US: /ˈjɒrəbə/ YORR-ə-bə, UK: /ˈjɒrʊbə/ YORR-uub-ə; Yoruba: Ìran Yorùbá, Ọmọ Odùduwà, Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire) are a West African ethnic...
Yoruba (US: /ˈjɔːrəbə/, UK: /ˈjɒrʊbə/; Yor. Èdè Yorùbá, IPA: [jōrùbá]; Ajami: عِدعِ يوْرُبا) is a language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in...
and songs. The largest ethnic groups are the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. Traditional music from Nigeria and throughout Africa is often functional; in other...
popular Yoruba musical genre. It arose from the improvisational wéré music, also known as ajísari (meaning "waking up for sari"), a genre of music performed...
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Were music (Yoruba: Wéré) is a Yorubamusic, which, like ajisari, is a way of using music to arouse the Islamic faithful to pray and feast during Ramadan...
Distinctive cultural norms prevail in Yorubaland and among the Yoruba people. The Yoruba are said to be religious people, but they are also pragmatic and...
Apala (or akpala) is a music genre originally developed by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, during the country's history as a colony of the British Empire...
Yoruba Americans (Yoruba: Àwọn ọmọ Yorùbá Amẹrika) are Americans of Yoruba descent. The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group that predominantly...
Yoruba literature is the spoken and written literature of the Yoruba people, one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in Nigeria and the rest of Africa...
Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles from mainly Nigeria such as the traditional Yoruba and Igbo music and highlife...
although the idakka is used to mimic vocal music. Five varieties of dùndún pressure drums of the Yoruba and the atumpan and fontomfrom of the Asante...
in ceremonial Yorubamusic in Nigeria and Benin. More recently, the word has come to be used to describe forms of Nigerian Afrobeats music. The Gbedu drum...
a Nigerian singer. An Ijebu Yoruba from Ijebu Waterside, in Ogun State, she began her professional career in waka music when she released her debut album...
The Yoruba of West Africa (Benin, Nigeria and Togo) are responsible for a distinct artistic tradition in Africa, a tradition that remains vital and influential...
formerly dominant Ile-Ife kingdom are largely oral. The history of the Yoruba people begins in Ile-Ife(Ife Empire). This kingdom was founded by the deity...
Yorubaland (Yoruba: Ilẹ̀ Káàárọ̀-Oòjíire) is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of...
Oyo Empire Yoruba states List of rulers of the Yoruba state of Dassa List of rulers of the Yoruba state of Icha List of rulers of the Yoruba state of Ketu...
represented types, Palmer described Adé's style as a "fusion of traditional Yoruba drumming with a pop instrumentation that includes pedal steel guitar and...
music singer Ado Gwanja – hausa singer Afrikan Boy – rapper Afro Candy – pop singer Alamu Atatalo – sekere singer, a type of traditional Yorubamusic...
that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yorùbá Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. She is one of...
movie titled Ajewunmi in 2015. In 2018, she won the Fastest Rising Actress (Yoruba) award at the City People Entertainment Awards. Toriola got married in 2018...
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