2005 Student Research Conference:
18th Annual Student Research Conference

Interdisciplinary

Music and the Masking Ritual in Traditional Igbo Society
Amenyedu D. Adovor
Prof. Shirley McKamie, Faculty Mentor

The Igbo of southeastern Nigeria are a widely studied group due to the complex social, cultural, political and religious institutions that have held the society together for many years. Traditional Igbo societies have a rich Masking tradition that dates back to the eighteenth century. The full Masking ritual involves an elaborate costume, music, songs, talk, drama and dance. Masking rituals are different from non-masked rituals, such as burial and naming ceremonies. The Igbo believe that wearing a mask transforms a person into a spirit. In this research paper, I examined how colonization, Christianity, Islam and urbanization have altered the Masking ritual itself and the frequency with which it is performed.

Keywords: Igbo, Nigeria , Masking, songs, dance

Topic(s):Interdisciplinary

Presentation Type: Oral Paper

Session: 51-1
Location: OP 2111
Time: 3:45

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