Traditional practices and techniques of the àgídìgbo: (re)examining the Yoruba ‘box piano’ through African pianism theory

Abstract

Traditional instruments in Nigeria, as well as other West African regions, play a crucial role in reflecting a society’s rich cultural identities  and artistic experiences. One of these traditional instruments is the àgídìgbo, a Yoruba ‘box piano’ similar to the thumb pianos found in  the lamellaphone family such as the mbira, ikembe and kalimba. The àgídìgbo is essentially a percussive instrument that requires and  exemplifies an indigenous performance practice and technique, along with extra-musical functionalities. While scholars have written  about this Yoruba instrument, studies on its practice and techniques from the perspectives of linguistic tonality and music theory are  insufficient. Since Yoruba music is influenced by the tonal inflections of the Yoruba language, the àgídìgbo, with its speech surrogate  functions, creatively engages with Yoruba speech rhythms and melodies to achieve melo-rhythmic accompaniments and word  intelligibility. This research embraces the theory of African pianism as postulated by Akin Euba (1970) to reexamine and analyse the  traditional methods and techniques used in playing the àgídìgbo, while recognising that the instrument should not be equated with the piano. The data analysed were primarily gathered through observation and oral interviews, revealing significant insights into the  instrument’s specialised traditional practices of tonal communication, melo-rhythmic patterns and the socio-cultural functions of  àgídìgbo music. This inquiry recommends further research on and documentation of the practices and techniques related to indigenous  instruments such as the àgídìgbo, with the aim of archiving and promoting African arts and cultural heritage on a global scale.