CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Music has different meanings to many people and serve different purpose to any culture or ethnic group. To musician, music is their life, they eat, breath and play music. Music is their passion, for others, music is a means of relaxation for some, and to some culture or tradition, music serve as rite of passage, ritual function in the palace or in the forest to appease gods, while others simply enjoy listening to the sounds, melodies and rhythms that music brings to their ears, mind and hearts. In one form or the other, music is the combination of sounds that is pleasant to hearing. It can also be defined as an organized served to please the emotions. Music is an art of creating and making pleasant and organized sound with human voice or other musical instruments. Music is an organized sound to please the emotions. It combines singing, dancing, whistling and playing African or Western musical instruments to produce sweet or pleasing sound. Music is functional to any culture and to all human beings in the part of the region. Even animal too, produce and enjoy music. For instance, birds and snakes make music and enjoy it as well.
Any ethnic group and all the daily activities of man involve music in one way or the other. Music is seen as an integral part of human life. Music is useful in the traditional setting and in all aspects of their social, economic, spiritual and ritual performing.
However, this project focuses on the ‘Role of music in the palace’. Music is a phenomenon in Africa. There is no one ethnic group or culture that does not have one kind of music that belongs to their tradition or to their society. In Africa, music is so important to them, and they have varieties of it, which they select and use depending on their needs, circumstances and situations. For instance, there are some typologies of music which they consider useful for meditation, ritual function, social function, ceremonial function, rite of passage function, and there are some music which they consider useful for relaxation. Music is a phenomenon that people derives meaning into their daily living. Hardly could any Africa people or other ethnic group survive a day isolation of music which they experience and consume consciously and unconsciously. Out of all music that exists in life today, we are examine the ‘Role of Music in the Palace’.
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Music is a phenomenon in Africa hardly could any African people do without music because they have imbibed music from the childhood. Most especially the Yoruba’s has a great passion for their music and they can not survive a day in isolation of music. To the Empires, Emires and the Oba’s in each part of this region or country uses music in one way or the other, either as an eulogy for their lineage, social entertainment, ceremonial functions or as ritual purposes to appease their forefathers. Palace is an official home of a king. The Yoruba people believe that the traditional rulers (Oba’s) are the next person to the gods of their land and even seeing the king’s (Oba’s) himself as a god in his own kingdom or land.
Music occurs or exists at the palace in many ways, either by drumming or by poetry (what we call chant). Most especially, Yoruba people uses music as an eulogy to praise their lineage, reciting the oriki of their compound. The oriki can’t be complete without the seicere and talking drums. In Yoruba culture, they used the talking drum to sing and as a means of conveying message. One can convey messages in diverse forms, depending upon the situation. As an Oba (king) or traditional chief like the Alaafin of Oyo, the palace would not be complete without the talking drum. The talking drum wakes up the Alaafin early in the morning from 5:00am and starts with the reciting of the oriki of the past Alaafin’s, telling the incumbent Alaafin the challenges they faced, how they overcome the challenges and problems, as well as the methods they used during the war. So, the talking drum serves as an important instrument of history. The drum goes on to talk about particular songs, dance steps or mannerisms of a past Alaafin to enable the incumbent Alaafin know the history of his predecessors. And that is why in Yoruba land, especially in OYO, every Alaafin is the representative of all his ancestors, and it is important that he knows all their history.
“Our history and oral traditions were handed down to us by purely non-literate people. So, the talking drum is an important source of history in the palace especially in Yoruba land. Other sources aside the talking drums is kakaaki, poetry (what we call chant). Almost all the established OYO families, compounds, lineages, can recite their oriki’s and these are done with the talking drum. The oriki can’t be complete without sekere and talking drums.
In the palace like OYO empire and the paramount ruler of egbaland the Alake of Ake palace, the drummers and the buglers that are found in their chambers or palace plays music for them using drum and bugle to identify each lineage through its traditional praise songs. Nobody in Africa or Nigeria has been able to do an in-depth study on the ‘Role of Music in the Palace’ which is related to our tradition, music, customs and culture.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
This project will critically examine the challenges faced interms of knowing the ancient or the olden traditional drums that are used to perform ritual functions to appease gods in the palace or forest. Also, it will be difficult to know some of the music that are used for the king when performing secret rituals in the palace. It will also check the dancing steps used to accomplish the ritual music when appeasing the gods in the palace.
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to investigate the different kinds of music that are used in the palace. Also to know the types of the traditional drums that are used in the palace to entertain the Alaafin’s and the Oba’s (kings). More so, to know whether all the drums that are found in the palace can be touched or beating by any person.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1) Does all the drums that are available in the palace can be used for entertainment?
2) Does any person can beat or touch the traditional drums that are found in the palace?
3) How does music serve as a means of communication in the palace?
4) Who are the people that are entitled to used this drum?
5) Does there is any sacrifice to be made or done by the drummer before they can beat this traditional drum?
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This project will look into the influence of music in the palace. The relationship between the king, the chiefs and music in the palace. It will also aim at how music will be promoted and useable for all the traditional rulers in Yoruba land.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This work will look into how music started in the palace. It will also emphasize on how music is used to convey message in the palace. It is also hoped that suggestions and recommendations made from this study will go along way in addressing the needs and the benefits for studying ethnomusicology as a course.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
There are some operation words used in this study, which one need to be defined. The words are as follows:
(1) Palace: The official home of a king.