SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Music

CONTRIBUTORS:

Uche, M.A;
Agu, D.C.C;

ABSTRACT:

Communities in Nigeria have contributed immensely to their development as regards their cultural heritage which has been handed over to them from their fore fathers. This cultural heritage has not only made them identifiable to other communities but to the global world. Music has been an instrument for cultural display among these communities and it has also contributed immensely to their development in regards to their cultural heritage. These are also portrayed in their indigenous songs, dances and instrumental performances.
The aims and objectives of this project are to explore the indigenous musical traditions of the Oshimili South Communities, focusing on their folk songs and its texts, in order to alienate the cultural package that they possess. This will help for necessary documentation and future knowledge. The findings reveal that the folk music of these communities has helped a lot in presenting the uniqueness of their culture through their folk song texts, its effects and socio-cultural implications. Their songs serve as a source of information, worship, entertainment, as well as a medium of communication and historical data to all. The songs relied on for this study includes social songs, children game songs, festival songs, burial songs/ dirges etc. The intention is to collect the folk songs, translate, transcribe and analyze them and through proper investigations, highlight the cultural heritage contained and further portray the effects and socio cultural implications that exist amongst them.
The methodology needed here includes, oral interviews, active participation and observation which will enhance its data collection and provide adequate material which will be added to literatures sourced at the libraries and from related books, journals and magazines as well as the internet. This will help for an effective research methodology.
Indigenous music has therefore been a source for cultural display and an information media as well as a medium for entertainment. The need to guide and guard the cultural heritage of a society is very necessary in order to pass it on to the present and coming generation and to uphold the cultural integrity which is the guiding force behind the existence of every community, especially the Oshimili South Communities of Delta State.