Photo-documentation of Okpe traditional marriage performance aesthetics

Abstract

This study examines and documents the performance rituals, aesthetics, and entertainment in Okpe Traditional marriage performances using still photographs. Traditional marriage performances in Nigeria serve as entertainment, cultural re-awakening, and a means of connecting/energizing the relationship between the physical and the supernatural world. While some of these performances have attained visibility through literary documentation, others seek recognition. Okpe marriage performances have the potentials for global visibility. This Study engages Okpe marriage performance aesthetics using ethnographic research and critical participant observation methods. Findings indicate that while the performance and ritual aesthetics in Okpe traditional marriage have continued to serve as source material for modern African drama, still photography has remained a ready tool for documentation of the myriad traditional performances across Africa.