This year’s African Drums Festival presented series of cultural razzmatazz, but the private troupes and the combined performances of French-speaking African nations at the occasion made the desired difference, writes Edozie Udeze
With over 54 dance troupes and 18 states of the Federation in attendance, the 2017 African Drums Festival which held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has come to demonstrate that culture can be used to establish peace, progress, economic growth and cultural renaissance. Not only that, with the presence of some countries across the globe, the drums festival proved to be an epitome of the preservation of an age-long tradition, and indeed a means to seek for the togetherness of different nations. These countries included the United States of America, Haiti, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso and Benin. Each came with its dance troupes, with drums of different sizes and sounds to render deep-rooted cultural tunes that thrilled the audience to no end.
From Nigeria, came Kano, Anambra, Imo, Bayelsa, Edo, Benue, Akwa Ibom States. Other states in attendance included the host state, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Katsina, Niger, Borno, Lagos and the Federal Capital territory represented by the Bwari Cultural troupe. There were equally some private troupes. They were led by the Late Hubert Ogunde’s dance troupe which came all out to dazzle the people with those profound dance styles for which Ogunde was noted.
It was three days of endless displays of cultural tunes using the drums to awaken the soul of Ogun State. With local drums of all sizes and makes, it was clear to note that almost all the dance patterns in Africa go with the sounds of drums. Even though the gong (ogene) was there, the flute (oja) was also visibly felt, with other minor instruments, drums truly predominated. Their sounds rose and rested in the air, showing how important they have become in the musical ensemble in Africa.
With the classical decoration of the three-part stage by Z-mirage, it was easier for each group to come into the stage to perform without much obstruction. The main act was left for the centre-stage, while the minor ones took place on both sides. This way, it was easier to have smooth transitions from one group to the other. Performances centred more on the cultural elements that unite the people. The Ogunde group, for instance, took the people back into the meanings of Aiye and Orisha in the socio-cultural lives of the people.
Adorned in their traditional white costumes to depict purity and elegance, they held large brooms in their hands. Their costumes were completed with red beads dangling on their necks. To them, the brooms were used to sweep away ill-luck and usher in moments of affluence and peace. The lead singer had a different hairstyle which was decorated with cowry shells – a symbol of wealth. This marked him out remarkably as he led them into the songs of purity, fertility and love. Cleanliness and dynamism indeed characterized their outing as the tempo of the drums and the songs rose and fell in symbolic torrents. They called on the people of the old to bring back a sane society. People applauded and clapped to welcome this moment of renaissance.
The groups from Badagry topped it up with electrifying songs done purposely to suit the arena. The drummers who were mainly in their teen ensured that they transited from one song to the other without a break in the tempo. In the end, one of them named Toye told The Nation that the songs were composed solely for the drums festival. “You have to seek to keep the people together where love is the centre-peace”, Toye said. “Our songs hinge on love, on peace, on freedom. We need these to make progress”, he said. This could be seen in their local adire costumes which spoke volumes of their total love for that which in Nigerian.
The Eni Afe Oniluo group from Abeokuta also displayed very colourful drumming that went back in time. Their pattern delved more into Apala musical tunes. They drummed and danced gracefully to the delight of the people. It was made known that the Apala style came out of this genre of drumming. In the end, the group applauded those who discovered Apala which origin came from Ibadan, Oyo State.
The states were not left out in the display of good deep drumming sounds. The Ekiti State troupe was not only outstanding, they did the kind of dance steps that made the audience to shuffle their legs. Then Ekiti kete rented the air. Many people cheered them on to do more; to dance to justify the agility inherent in the troupe. In fact, their dexterity came to its climax when a masquerade entered the arena. As soon as masquerade entered, all the dancers knelt down to greet the masquerade. It was a sign of respect.
Adorned in black and white aso-oke, the masquerade quickly took over the dance pattern. The strange voice of the ancestral spirit suddenly arrested the interest of the people. It was the voice of the masquerade as it resonated on the stage, gyrating from one end to the other. Even though emphasis here was on drum as they speak and appeal to African peoples, the outing was a full-bloom festival of all aspects of African cultural elements. This was what most states tried to justify in their presentations. For instance, Anambra State came with Atilogwu specifically to display acrobatic dance style. The display of Oja with its high potency and fluidity of sounds and evocative tune was to add variety to the festival. Their type of drums and ekwe showed a different class of musical pattern. For this, people continuously rooted for Atilogwu as they performed on stage, with deep gyration of people possessed by the spirit of the unknown. It was awesome indeed.
From Borno State came the drums used mainly to demonstrate durbar. The long horn and flute were there. Together, they produced the sounds that pierced the arena. The beauty of this was in the fact that everybody moved their feet to the slow, steady tempo of these drums that produced peculiar rhythms. It showed that Africa without drums is incomplete. The drum is the platform on which celebrations are held. The different sounds produced by drums represent very unique symbols in the culture of the people.
This uniqueness was more pronounced when the combined troupes of Congo, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin came on stage to perform. Their different drums were not far from what obtains in Nigeria. The Haitian troupe for instance was happy to be in Nigeria for the first time. They kissed the soil of Africa for the first time and kept muttering in their creole (corrupted French) language about what they missed about Africa. They walked bare-footed mostly to feel the red earth of Africa. As they performed, they sang songs to depict Yemoja. Even though much more corrupted now, it was part of those songs they used to win independence by chasing away the French from their soil. Their drums, even though looked a bit synthetic yet had the same musical effects to the ear.
The Congolese tied their own drums to their waists. It was to make for an easy display, so said, one of their leaders who prattled on one of the drums to show its efficacy. Very large drums, they played for only few minutes without singing. The sounds were solemn, provocative and inviting. They showed more of years of wars and rancor in the country. The drums sounded more of a dirge, very sorrowful in a display of the call for peace and togetherness. Their drums also wore elements of their national colours to show how their leaders fought to liberate them from the clutches of French colonialism.
The troupe from the Republic of Benin accepted the fact that they were in Abeokuta as part of paying obeisance to the people that defeated them during the Dahomey – Yoruba wars of the 19th century. Part of their drums had that emblem – the emblem of conquest, of warriors, who feared no one but to defend themselves. This was in 1840.
They also have infused into their dances and drumming, just like the Haitians, deep traces of voodoo. Their pattern of movements, the types of songs they rendered, all had elements of voodoo – a spirit of world ruled by the living-dead. Those body twists that defy logic, that defy modern technique, indeed ruled their world of musical presentation. As they did so, they entered into the spirit of the underworld and the music then became more charged and indefinable.
For the Burkina Faso troupe, Nigeria is home away from home. They felt that this festival is germane to bridge the gap between our two nations. “It is not only in football”, Gabriele, one of their dancers said, “We have to be together in cultures too. Africa can use culture to cement love”, he said in smattering English. Drums, to him represent the voices of the black people all over the world. “That is why we are here, to be a part of these voices of music, of love, of peace, of progress; of oneness. Let drums become that pivot point that we need to celebrate; to forget our colonial boundaries to be one once more,” he said.
