Mac Dee, Nov 30, 2008
Wonderful performance by one of the Igbo cultural troupes.
This one from Udi in Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides information about Igbo people and showcases a video of Igbo traditional dancers performing to flute and other musical instruments.
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread are also included in this post with special attention to comments that refer to how this dance performance is similar to Caribbean cultures, and in particular to Junkanoo festival performances.
The Addendum to this post includes information about Junkanoo (Caribbean festivals) since a commenter noted that this video was "the splitting image of Junkanoo".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-This pancocojams series was inspired by comments in https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/african-other-sources-of-african.html about West African flutes being sources of or influences for the African American fife and drum music traditions.
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INFORMATION ABOUT IGBOS
From https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/an-introduction-to-nigerias-igbo-people/ [retrieved March 4, 2021]
"The Ibo or Igbo people are found in southeastern Nigeria and
have many interesting customs and traditions. With a population of around 40
million throughout Nigeria, they are one of the biggest and most influential
tribes. Igbos are well-known for their entrepreneurial endeavours, both within
Nigeria and around the world.
[…]
In Nigeria, Igbos inhabit an area referred to as Igboland, which is divided
into two sections along the lower River Niger. They live in most or all parts
of five states: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, as well as minor parts of
Delta, Rivers and Benue states. Small Igbo communities are also found in parts
of Cameroon and Equitorial Guinea.”…
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zWxPA077zw&ab_channel=MACDEE
These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. uk4word, 2013
"IGBO KWENU"
-snip-
From http://www.kwenu.com/publications/iroegbu/2007/concept_kwenu.htm "The concept of Igbo Kwenu in Igbo culture, identity, and shared representation by Patrick Iroegbu Friday, June 15, 2007
"A common linguistic analysis may help us to understand the phrase “Igbo kwenu.” Here we have two words: ‘Igbo’ and ‘kwenu.’ The term “Igbo” refers to Igbo people – men and women of all ages of tradition and modernism. On its own, “kwenu” as a word refers to agreement, endorsement, solidarity, unity, bondedness, strength, collective will.
The conception of the idea to stay together as a community and act as one is very important for the Igbo...
the Igbo assert their emotions and psychology together through calls to order of solidarity such as invoking the “Igbo kwenu.”
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/10/excerpts-of-articles-that-explain-what.html for a 2015 pancocojams post entitled "What "Igbo Kwenu!" Means".
**
2. Agusm 2013
"I Just LOVE these dancers and masquarades. Chineke gozie ndi
Igbo. Amen.
God bless the Igbo people."
**
3. Dav Gar, 2018
"Now am convince we Jamaicans are igbo....this is a splitting
replica of our jankouno dance in jamaica
Reply
4.
"Genetics have proven the majority of Jamaican ancestry comes
from the Igbo."
**
Reply
5. WestIndianMalkah, 2019
"Yes it is!!!!!!"
**
Reply
6. WestIndianMalkah, 2019
" @Boi also yoruba and congo ehtnicity. Theres an
area called calabar in jamaica, also whydah, als abeokuta, accompong, among other place names in
particular areas."
**
Reply
7. Ngum Ngafor, 2019
"@WestIndianMalkah I've seen a video of Abeokuta. Never knew of
Calabar."
**
Reply
8. WestIndianMalkah, 2019
"@Ngum Ngafor Yes there were quite a few people who came
over to jamaica from an area called Calabar, from my research it was from the
Old kalabar kingdom, being of the Efik and ibibio. This proves true for me as
ive discovered 2 dna relatives of mine and my mom who said they are Ibibio"
**
Reply
9. Ngum Ngafor, 2019
"@WestIndianMalkah Didn't even know Calabar was a kingdom.
Thanks for this. Will check out more."
**
Reply
10. WestIndianMalkah, 2019
" @Ngum Ngafor yes look up old calabar kingdom. Theres been
so many migrations, seperation, wars, etc. So names change, people merge, move,
etc"
**
Reply
11. Malik El Shabazz, 2019
"@LaMar McNeil Mostly Ashanti than Igbo"
**
Reply
12. Onye nsogbu, 2019
" @Malik El
Shabazz Igbo people sold more slaves
to the new world than any other African ethnic group...Go and check British
archive."
**
Reply
13. Dozie Roberts, 2020
"@Onye nsogbu you are talking rubbish. Mechionu!
Igbo people didn't sell more slaves than yoruba. Rather more
slaves were taken from the Bight of Biafra than anywhere else because they
believed the Igbos were stronger in physique and strenght than the other
tribes."
**
Reply
14. Osita Joseph, 2020
"@Dozie Roberts pure fact"
**
Reply
15. mara.iara, 2020
"@Dozie Roberts And then turned out to be harder to
"control". There are records of enslaved Igbos who kept committing
suicide and rebelling rather than submit"
**
Reply
16. Anita Sanchess, 2020
"Yeah even Jamaican patois has UNU meaning YOU PEOPLE in Igbo
language, but I heard people are trying to remove it or scrape it out."
**
Reply
17. Krunkerino 1, 2020
"WestIndianMalkah An Igbo person created the place called
Abeokuta and calabar is not Yoruba.
God bless the Igbo people"
**
18. Onye nsogbu, 2019
"Watch these Igbo music and Tradition:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WBuVzIXFdLc
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zHvfLtCnJWY
-snip-
Here are a few comments from the first discussion thread that onye nsogbu gave:
IGBO CULTURE & TRADITION: An Overview
Jerry Osuji, Sept. 10, 2018
a) Stephanie Francis, 2019
"I can see 'where we in the Caribbean get some of these dance from, it is in the blood"
Reply
b)
"Stephanie Francis yep"
**
Reply
c) Stephanie Francis, 2020
"@Chiazo Odu can you help me with these names , i did my
DNA and these names show up they are Akuwah
Nwachi where are these names originate from?"
**
Reply
d) Daniel Okeke, 2020
"Stephanie Francis it’s originally from igbo tribe in
Nigeria. That’s Igbo names."
**
Reply
e) Daniel Okeke,2020
"Stephanie Francis you can call someone, nwachi or nwachukwu.
You can also call someone akuwah or akunwa."
**
Reply
f) Queeneth Anyanwu, 2020
" @Stephanie
Francis they are basically Igbo names
given to any1 from eastern Nigeria. Akuwah means wealth of the world or world
wealth, there are different variations to it like, Akunwa meaning wealth of a
child, Aku means wealth. Nwachi means child of God, Nwa means child while Chi
is God and it also has different variations too. I hope this helps, all the
best."
Reply
g)
"Thank you all below
for explaining for me I appreciate it !!"
-snip-
The second link that gave is a 2011 sound file entitled "Chief Osita Steven Osadebe- Ana Masi Ife Uwa".
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ADDENDUM: INFORMATION ABOUT JUNKANOO
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkanoo
"Junkanoo is a street parade with music, dance, and costumes of mixed African origin in many islands across the English speaking Caribbean every Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). These cultural parades are predominantly showcased in the Bahamas where the music is also mainstreamed, and competition results are hotly contested,[1] There are also Junkanoo parades in Miami in June and Key West in October, where local black populations have their roots in the Caribbean. In addition to being a culture dance for Afro-North Carolinians[2] and the Garifuna people,[3][4] this type of dancing is also performed in The Bahamas on Independence day and other historical holidays.
Dances are choreographed to the beat of goatskin drums and cowbells.
History
The festival may have originated several centuries ago, when enslaved descendants of Africans on plantations in The Bahamas celebrated holidays granted around Christmas time with dance, music, and costumes. After emancipation the tradition continued and junkanoo evolved from simple origins to a formal, organised parade with intricate costumes, themed music and official prizes within various categories.
The origin of the word junkanoo is disputed. Theories include that it is named after a folk hero named John Canoe or that it is derived from the French gens inconnus (unknown people) as masks are worn by the revelers.[5] Douglas Chambers, professor of African studies at the University of Southern Mississippi, suggests a possible Igbo origin from the Igbo yam deity Njoku Ji referencing festivities in time for the new yam festival. Chambers also suggests a link with the Igbo okonko masking tradition of southern Igboland, which feature horned maskers and other masked characters in similar style to jonkonnu masks.[6] Similarities with the Yoruba Egungun festivals have also been identified.[7] However, an Akan origin is more likely because the celebration of the Fancy Dress Festivals/Masquerades are the same Christmas week (December 25–January 1) in the Central and Western Regions of Ghana and also John Canoe was in fact an existing Ahanta king and hero that ruled Axim, Ghana, before 1720, the same year the John Canoe festival was created in the Caribbean.[8]"...
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