The dramatic and theatrical aesthetics of Izara traditional initiation festival of Amo people of North Central Nigeria
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Date
2016-07
Authors
Yamma, Solomon Obidah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
African traditional theatre is caught up within the vortex of Western inferiorization, the
need for documentation, and a conflict of opinions between African dramatic scholars (the
evolutionists and the relativists). The indigenous festival traditions in Africa have been
described by Finnegan (1970) as ‘quasi-dramatic’ and they lack the dramatic structure of
the West. This view by evolutionists is against that of the relativists who claim that
traditional festivals in Africa are fully dramatic and theatrical and should not be judged
strictly by Western canons. The problem is further complicated by the lack of
documentation of these festivals resulting in the disappearance of vital aspects of them.
African traditional performance modes, as earlier practised by Africans, were affected by
imperialistic activities of the West during colonialism and by today’s globalized mediation.
These traditional dramatic forms still retain their value and relevance as pointers to the
identity of Africa and are a source of artistic production. This study attempts to establish
and analyze the dramatic and theatrical aesthetics (elements) in the Izara festival of Amo
people of North Central Nigeria. The study employs the analytical binoculars of
performance theory, myth/archetypal, as well as the structuralist/semiotic frameworks to
describe and analyze the festival. The study has adopted a qualitative research approach for
data collection and analysis in communities of Amo in North Central Nigeria. This
involved the researcher using interview schedule, focus group discussion (FGD) and
observation schedule. Findings of this research confirm the existence of drama which is
indigenous to African people, and that is not necessarily the same as that of the West. This
is due to Africa’s peculiarity in worldview and the history of evolution of the African
people. The study is an addition to the corpus of critical texts on African traditional drama
and theatre, and is significant to film makers, ethnographers, anthropologists, sociologists,
and historians. It also serves as a reference for further academic research.
Description
A thesis submitted to the school of visual and performing arts, in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, of Kenyatta University. July 2016