Emeka Esogbue

Music Development in Ibusa: A Personal Account - Part Two By Emeka Esogbue "Egwu ka anyi bia li, ndi bia li ogu wa naa ana." - Dana 'Agility' Okonji One day, my father returned from work with an album, and in his usual hurried move to his turntable, he opened the cover and at a fast pace, dropped the album on the music device. The song was slightly odd as it came with a strange account of the Nigerian Civil War. The artists were young Ibusa men from the Ogboli axis of the community. After the civil war of 1967 to 1970, a group of Ibusa young men under the auspices of Otu Ofu Ndu visited the studio to record an album. Disposed to warfare but mourning the losses and destructions that came with the war, they invoked the people's sympathy with the 'cry.' The group of singers was mostly members of an irregular armed force who defended the Ibusa community from invasion during the war and living through the afflictions of the war, they made the song to ...

 Music Development in Ibusa: A Personal Account - Part One By Emeka Esogbue "Egwu na sor nwa ogalanya, egwu na sor nwa ogbei" - Chief Ogbogu Okonji   The above quote which literarily translates to "The rich and poor enjoy music" illustrates the relevance of music to man's society irrespective of class, status or situation of the individual. Everyone enjoys music including the dead who the living rolls out drums to mourn.  Like the late Robert Nester Marley (Bob Marley) also said "Music is food to the soul." Gideon Chukwumaliobim Ikenwe in his book, "Akwukwu-Igbo Kingdom Culture: Ancient and Present Perspective" further illustrates this with the saying, "Every culture in this planet earth loves music and has it incorporated in its rituals both in time of sorrow and in time of joy."  He feels that "man's thought is inspired by music to reach out for solace, spiritual growth, and transformation." Music is the psychologica...