An Analytical Study of Selected Popularized Ogboni/Osugbo Cult Music among the Yoruba People of Nigeria

Within the premise of ethnomusicological theory, using cultural analytical tools, this study specifically focused on the analysis of selected popularized music of the Ogboni/Osugbo cult among the Yoruba people in order to identify the content and structure as well as their socio-cultural relevance among the Yoruba society at large. This study made use of the primary method of data collection which includes the use of discography of the selected songs as well as oral interviews with some of the members of the Ogboni/Osugbo cult. The secondary method involves the review of relevant related literature from books, journals and other library materials. The research findings have revealed that the musical practice among the Ogboni/Osugbo cult is secret to non-members or non-initiates except for few popular musicians who popularized it through singing and recording of some of these songs in CDs, VCDs and DVDs for commercial purposes. It is also revealed that these songs have short-verse poetic form originally in monophony before they were harmonized into voice parts by these musicians. The songs were observed to be in compound metre of 4/4 (8/8) and 12/8 time. The text content and theme covers the ritual, entertainment, homage to the superhuman beings, and loyalty and solidarity to Ogboni/Osugbo cult. This study hereby concludes that this study has therefore highlighted and made a contribution to the study of Yoruba traditional music by making provision for the analysis and documentation of this selected popularized Ogboni/Osugbo music among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. This research project thereby recommends that the Federal government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism should commission the Nigerian popular musicians and Musicologists to record more cult music in Nigeria in order to document them for appreciation and for future references.