PERFORMANCE PRACTICE OF ?RÈGÚN CHANTS IN KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

In African societies generally, social commentaries as well as issues regarding etiquettes and societal values are clearly articulated in satirical musical performances. This is one notable way to ensure some measure of social control and foster cohesion among the people. Previous studies on Yagba people are scanty. The few available ones have not undertaken ethnomusicological analyses of ?règún music, even when the continuity of the genre is greatly threatened. This study, therefore, focuses on the performance of ?règún chant in Yagba, Kogi State, located in North Central part of Nigeria, in consonance with Percy Grainger's work on performance of early and folk music. The study is based on the theory of structural-functionalism as propounded by Kingsley Davis (1945) and the data used were collected through three in-depth and three key-informant interviews of leaders and members of ?règún musical groups. These are in addition to three Participant Observation and three Non-Participant Observation methods of data gathering from Yagha-West, Yagba-East, and Mopamuro Local Government Areas of Kogi State. Music recordings, photographs of ?règún performances, and six chants were purposefully sampled. Secondary data were collected through library, archival and Internet sources. Data analyses were carried out through transcription of the chants with Sibelius and Finale music software. The chants are characterised by musical intonation, narrow melodic range, tonal sequences and tonal contrasts. Although closely interwoven, ?règún chants performance practice is structured into preparation, actual performance and post-performance stages. Among the Yagba, performing contexts shape lrègún musical functions, and these include education, caution, counselling, criticism, chronological reference, entertainment drive, and praise of individuals and group of persons in Yagha communities. Given these social roles, irègún chants should be promoted by the government of Kogi State and Non-Governmental Organizations through regular sponsorship of their performances in order to sustain and globally popularise the tradition.