ETHNOMUSICOLOGICAL STUDY OF OMABE UTURU NWEZE ENUNU OF NGURU NSUKKA ENUGU STATE NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Omabe  music  of  Nguru  Uturu  Nweze  Enunu  at  Ogba-Agu  is  one  of  the  most  important ceremonial music in life of Nguru Omabe practitioners. This research investigates Omabe Music of Nsukka—an ethnomusicological study on Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu at Ogba-Agu with regard to its origin and in terms of the internal and external factors that have affected it. Passive and participant observational oral interviews were the instruments used in the field to observe the Omabe groups in the cult hutch houses. Those topical issues on Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu are restructured to serve as a framework for the coherent realization of the objectives in the vocal music and the structural elements of instrumental ensemble studies. The summarization, observation, and recommendations were based on the findings.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Omabe is a secret society practiced by male extraction of Nsukka people. It is a custom tha has been from time immemorial, with a vague trace of its origin.   However, some part of Nsukka people claimed that it is a spirit manifest. The majority believe the Omabe came from the anthills. Many  Omabe-practicing communities among the three autonomous communities in Nsukka, such as Nkpunanor, Nru, and Ihe n’owerre believe that   Omabe ritual is a musical culture borrowed from Igala and Idoma societies as two none Igbo communities, sharing a common boundary with  Nsukka  north,  Enugwu Ezikke.  Moreover, southern Nsukka  parts, Unadu, Itch Agu, Nkalagu-Obukpa, down to Okwutu and Anuka autonomous communities of Nsukka constituencies, Enugu state, Nigeria also constitute the part practicing Omabe. This research work therefore, underpines the literature of ethnomusicology as it examines the structural, organisational and the vocal content as well as the instrumentality of Omabe music in Nguru Nsukka region.

This study is set to probe into the issues that surround Omabe Music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu music as historical or cultural developments of Nsukka region.

1.2 Statement of the Problems

Omabe music of Igbo Nsukka   belong to the genre of traditional music. It has been undergoing changes since its adaptation by Nguru people. Like all ethnic music, traditional issues inform Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu creativity and practice. The study of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in Nkpunanor component of Nsukka Senatorial Zones is hard to come by in literature. There is therefore, need to track the changes that have shaped Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in Igbo Nsukka evolution.

The project sets out to describe the Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in terms of finding out the ethnomusicological structural elements in the vocal music of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu and Instrmental ensemble of Omabe music in Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The aim of the study is to describe the origin, uses, styles and development of the Omabe  music  of  Nguru  Uturu  Nweze  Enunu  in  Nguru  as  part  of  Nkpunanor  Nsukka communities with a particular reference to its vocal music and instrumental ensembles’. It seeks to give the earliest account of Omabe music and find out its cultural developments in Nsukka zones that led to the upshot of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu.

The researcher feels that there is a need to carry out this study particularly from the time Omabe music was introduced to Nsukka community in order to understand its origin and and the cultural diffusion that characterized the adoption.

The objectives of this study are to:

(1)  describe the ethnomusicological contents of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu vocal music of the Northern Igbo Nsukka region.

(2)  describe the structural elements of instrumental music ensemble Omabe music of Nguru

Uturu Nweze Enunu.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu study may enrich the cultural and creative arts curricula in our educational institutions: primary and secondary schools in Nguru

community, and tertiary levels in Nsukka indigenous institutions. This study will no doubt place Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in a cultural map of Nigeria. This is a fact because Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu is one of the glaring pieces of evidence of cultural uniqueness and self-identity in the life of Nguru people.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the descriptive nature of the organizational organism of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu as a traditional music in Igbo Nsukka culture. It examines the structural features of Omabe festival. It  also explores the instrumental ensemble of the Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu.

1.6 Need of the Study

The researcher feels that there is a need to carry out this case study particularly on entire Nsukka communities in  order to  gather  facts  to  guide against  presumption concerning the features of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu music and  its  instrumental music ensembles.

Materials on Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu ritual and music festivals in Nsukka Senatorial Zones are scarce. This project centres on Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu cult music. It aims to make the musical materials of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu Omabe readily available for use.

Finally, the need for this is to describe and explain Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu of Nkpunanor Nsukka thereby bringing it to limelight, so that distinctions and similarities of the various forms of Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu may be known.

1.7 Research Question

The following research questions were framed for the realization of the objectives of the

Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in Igbo Nguru Nsukka study:

(1) What are the structural features of Omabe vocal music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in

Northern Igbo Nsukka region?

(2) What are the structural elements of instrumental ensemble of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu Omabe music of Igbo Nsukka ensemble?

1.8 Scope and delimitations of the Study

(1)     The area of our study is description of the ethnomusicological contents of Omabe music of

Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu Omabe vocal music of the Northern Igbo Nsukka region.

(2)   To describe the structural elements of instrumental ensemble of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu Omabe music of Igbo Nsukka district. However, this study will not cover the whole Omabe music of Igbo Nsukka in general, we are only interested in Omabe music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu in Nkpunanor Nsukka communities. In addition, the scope of this research  is limited to scrutinizing the structural elements of Omabe vocal music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu of the Northern Igbo  Nsukka  region such  as    medium (mode of presentation or  delivery),  form, texture.The study will also examine the Vocal and Instrumental type of the music: (i) Vocal type and (ii) Instrumental type, sound background, harmony (division of parts), instrumental or vocal, names of the instruments used and roles they play within the Omabe vocal music: (i) Human voice and (ii) xylophone-rhythm, (iii) key of the vocal music and interval employed. (3) On the

other hand, it will describe the nature of instrumental Omabe music ensemble of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu of Igbo Nsukka concerning the name of instruments used and roles played within the ensemble. Omabe music vocalist or praise chant within the ensemble, developmental motif, and rhythm, medium: (mode of presentation or delivery), texture, instruments used, intervals employed within the arrangements in Omabe music ensemble which may or may not on the generalized note of characteristic of African music we have been hearing since time immemorial. It will also describe in full the work of the percussion instruments in Omabe Music of Nguru Uturu Nweze Enunu and to ascertain whether they are supporting Omabe xylophone.

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