Traditional Music in Igbo Culture: A Case Study of Idu Cultural Dance of Akpo in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State

Abstract

Igbo people are endowed with numerous dance music performances which portray the culture of the people. Traditional music is so much a part of Igbo culture that majority of the people who live in big cities and other places outside their home town organize traditional music ensembles as a mark of identity, to preserve their culture and to serve as a unifying factor that binds them together. This valuable Igbo culture is fast fading away in most communities as the younger generations are losing interest in this music genre. This paper therefore views traditional music as an indispensible part of Igbo culture. It further investigates among other things the history and performance of Idu cultural dance. To achieve this, the researcher employed some information gathering techniques such as oral interviews, fieldwork and review of related literatures. This research work reveals that despite the alarming influences of the western technology on Igbo culture, dance music performance has remained the climax of every cultural and social event in Akpo community. It also suggest that the people be encouraged in their music practices, to achieve this, music scholars should research on the activities of music groups within and outside their communities. This will encourage them to hold fast to their activities knowing that there are people that have interest in them.

Key words: culture, dance, performance, Igbo people, traditional music.