CHAPTER 53 : ORIN IBEJI AS YORUBÌ A ìFOLKLORE

Abstract

In YorubÌ a ìland twins' births are usually regarded as special and, orin ìbeji is the generic name given to the corpus of personality-themed songs that are variously composed and rendered for twins (Ìbejì). This paper seeks to do an appraisal of orin ibeji of the YoruÌba,ì probing and proving its status as an indigenous folkloric tradition. African folklore consists of artistic expressions that are essentially repositories of cultural history, philosophy and episteme. Using the Theory of Referentialism as its pivot, the paper argues that orin iÌbejiÌ, as a musical tradition, typically references cultural semiotic elements outside the perimeters of the songs themselves. This, inadvertently, establishes the folkloric profile of orin iÌbejiÌ. Oral interview, archival and observational methods are employed as the methodological approach in assembling the primary data for this paper. Using five key characteristics, including identity formation and communal performance, with corresponding examples of different orin iÌbejiÌ songs, this paper explains how orin iÌbejiÌ are indeed classical examples of YoruÌbaì folklore. Finally, it recommends purposedriven attempts at escalating the status of this tradition to an iconic status of a globally visible and attractive cultural heritage.

Keywords: Folklore, Orin Ibeji,Western Nigeria