Owigiri music and the expression of Ijo ̣identity

Abstract

Scholars of popular music and ethnomusicology have for many years been concerned with music as a site for the production and negotiation of identities. This article examines the ways through which artists express their Ijo ̣ identity in owigiri music, a sub-genre of highlife music in Nigeria. Data were gathered from observations of owigiri performances and recordings of selected songs by artists such as Eniyekenemiere Alfred, Rufus Ayafor, Robert Ebizimor and Barrister S Smooth. Additional data were sourced from interviews with bandleaders and the audience of owigiri. This study reveals that artists use owigiri to express their Ijo ̣ identity through identity markers such as language, geographical space, militancy, wrestling prowess, myth, local occupations, traditional music, dance styles and dress.