Introduction

Music is an integral part of African from cradle to grave. Music plays a vital role in the lives of Africans in that festivals in Africa
can never be successful without accompaniment of Music. Egungun Festival is one of the major festival that is really observed in
Africa.

For the purpose of this work, we will choose the Yoruba land in the south West Nigeria.

Listed below are a few types of festival being practiced and accompanied with music in Africa.

 Gerewol festival in chad/Niger among the Wodaube people

 Panafest festival in Ghana-dance, music and other performing Arts.
 Fetesdes masques in Ivory coast - competition between vivger to find best dancers.
 Festival au Desert in Mali-celebrate culture, music and stories.
 Voodoo festival in Benin & Togo - devious religion with thousand of devotees.
 Egungun Festival in Nigeria.
 Osun Festival in southwest Nigeria.
 Ekpo Festival in Nigeria ( akwa-ibom).

From the above listed examples, we will take Egungun Festival in details.

Artistic features of Egungun Festival in relation to music.

Early morning on the day of Egungun Festival, sacrifices will be made to the ancestors who is associated with the Egungun by
the priest in the shrine called ( Igbale). Igbale is a place where all Egungun costumes (Ekuu) are kept. Sacrifices are always place
in front of the Ekuu in the hope that the ancestors will eat and accept the sacrifices before the wearer of Egungun put on the
Ekuu. It should be noted that hot moi moi that is called (ole)is place in front of the Ekuu as the material for sacrifice.

During the process of offering sacrifice to the Ekuu,priest in charge of Igbale will chant to invoke the ancestral spirit to accept
the sacrifices. We can see that music is use to call the attention of the gods in Africa religion. It goes thus............

Chant: Etutu ta she ki adura wa gba o/2x

Kalowo ka bimo nilu ki o

Etutu tase kadura wa gba o.

Women also play a vital role in Egungun Festival because African religion does not encourage individualism so both men and
women young and old participate in Egungun Festival.It should be known that women are not allowed to see Egungun when it is
still in Igbale .

Women uses music to praise the Egungun when the Egungun is already out for people to see. Among numerous songs that
women sing during the Egungun Festival is thus.........

Women song: Egun ile was ko sako semi kan

Osa ile wa ko sale seni kan

Efun omo laye, efun omo laye

Efun omo laye, komo ose me baba re o.

Women chant : Oko mi, olowori Mi, gbera n le ko dide ojo n lo...,.

In Egungun Festival, is not only vocal music that is used, but they also use instrumental ensemble.

We have dundun drum and Bata drum, both are used by different Egungun. Drum is used to give information to Egungun and
audience at Large. Drummer can pass a messages to Egungun by using talking drum..........
 Drum: omo ajibande gberanle ko she bi baba re tin se.

Whenever Egungun hear this that means the Egungun should perform the way his ancestors use to. It isa form of challenging
the Egungun to use some metaphysical power. Sometimes, the drummer use talking drum to arose the morale of Egungun to
anger.

It should be noted that Music has both positive and negative influence in Egungun Festival.

Psychic features of Egungun Festival in relation to music.

In Africa, we have two types of Egungun in Yoruba land. The gentle and troublesome ones. The psychic feature is mostly seen
in the troublesome Egungun.

This happens most time when the drummers cause trouble to arouse the Egungun. The Egungun tends to get angry then start
using their magical power in the sense that some will disappear, beat people with cane called Atori. Another illustration to
explain the psychic feature of music in Egungun Festival, is when the Egungun is going to the IGBALE, music would be used as an
accompaniment to offer Thanksgiving for the success of the Egungun Festival.Music is also used to return the ancestors to the
ancestral position in the Heaven (since they are known as Ara orun).

In conclusion:Egungun Festival cannot be performed without the cultural costumes and traditions of the Yoruba people.

Music go a long way in the spiritual realm i.e music plays an important role when performing spiritual functions in

Africa,it is a vital means of communication between the living world and the spiritual world.

Religion in Africa cannot do without music.

COURSE CODE : REL 205

COURSE TITLE : AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

GROUP : MUSIC GROUP ONE

QUESTION : LIST AND EXPLAIN THE ARTISTIC AND PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE OF MUSIC

IN ANY FESTIVAL YOU KNOW.

GROUP MEMBERS: MATRIC NUMBER

ADEBISI OLUSOLA REUBEN MUS/2015/002

OLUBAMIJI SUNDAY SEGUN. MUS/2015/029

AKPANADIAHA JOHNSON EMMANUEL. MUS/2015/011

ADULOJU ABIMBOLA. MUS/2015/006

GBEMIBADE BUKOLA. MUS/2015/