CULTURE AND TOURISM: THE GELEDE SPECTACLE

CULTURE AND TOURISM:  THE GELEDE SPECTACLE


The Gelede and Efe dance is very popular among the Yoruba Egun people but is also practiced by the Ibarapa people of Oyo State. The Gelede social agenda rests on the Yoruba maxim Eso l'aye (The world is fragile).

The Gelede dance takes place every year after the harvests, at important events and during drought or epidemics and is characterized by carved masks, dances and chants, sung in the Yoruba language and retracing the history and myths of the Yoruba people. The ceremony usually takes place at night on a public square and the dancers prepare in a nearby house.

The Gẹlẹdẹ Masquerade of the Yoruba is a public display by colorful masks which combines art and ritual dance to amuse, educate and inspire worship. Gelede celebrates “Mothers” (awon iya wa), a group that includes female ancestors and deities as well as the elderly women of the community, and the power and spiritual capacity these women have in society. Focusing not only on fertility and motherhood but also on correct social behavior within the Yoruba society.


The Gelede social agenda rests on the Yoruba maxim Eso l'aye (The world is fragile). In other words, life is delicate and should be lived with caution and with an emphasis on diplomacy, consideration, respect and harmony.

The singers and the drummers are the first to appear. They are accompanied by an orchestra and followed by the masked dancers wearing splendid costumes. There is a great deal of preparatory craftwork involved, especially mask carving and costume making. The performances convey an oral heritage that blends epic and lyric verses, which employ a good deal of irony and mockery, supported by satirical masks.

There are two main schools of thought about the origins of Gelede, the historical and the mythological. The historical origins are linked to three possible places, Old Oyo, Ketu, and Ilobi. Ketu, one of the oldest and most elaborate of the Gelede performances has an origin story of a king dying and his two twin sons both vying for the throne. One brother, after learning that he wasn't going to get the throne came up with a plan to kill his twin. When the brother caught wind of the plan he came up with a counter plan that involved creating a mask and a makeshift person as a deception.


The mythological origins are directly connected to Iya Nla, or the Great Mother, and her connection to motherhood and twins.

An ese Ifa explains the origins of Gelede as beginning with Yemoja, "The Mother of all the orisa and all living things." Yemoja could not have children and consulted an Ifa oracle, who advised her to offer sacrifices and to dance with wooden images on her head and metal anklets on her feet. After performing this ritual, she became pregnant. Her first child was a boy, nicknamed "Efe" (the humorist); the Efe mask emphasizes song and jests because of the personality of its namesake.

Yemoja's second child was a girl, nicknamed "Gelede" because she was obese like her mother. Also like her mother, Gelede loved dancing.

After getting married themselves, neither Gelede nor Efe's partner could have children. The Ifa oracle suggested they try the same ritual that had worked for their mother. No sooner than Efe and Gelede performed these rituals, dancing with wooden images on their heads and metal anklets on their feet, they started having children. These rituals developed into the Gelede masked dance and were perpetuated by the descendants of Efe and Gelede.

Elefe, or the Humorist, is the man who carries the Efe mask for the Gelede festival. It is his job to pray for the well-being of the community and promote non antisocial behaviors while also being the voice of the community. Usually played by a middle aged man or older, it is essential that he is knowledgeable in the oral literature of the community,


Arugi, or the masker, is a man who must not only be a good dancer but also must be knowledgeable in the popular proverbs and local language to orient himself and understand the language of the drums. The learning of this language usually begins sometime in early childhood when children start learning the various dances. If they appear to have skill those children are then trained and allowed to wear the masks during the annual Gelede festival.

Onilu, or the Drummers, in the case of Gelede are experts in the music of Gelede. Agberin, or the Chorus, is composed of men and women wearing either similar or the same clothing to project the appearance of being a group.

Although the Gelede ceremony may be staged at any time of the year (to better the lot of an individual, to cleanse the society of pestilence, to induce rain, to enrich human fertility, to enlist the support of supernatural forces and the "powerful mothers" in wartime, and to honor the dead.

The most elaborate performance occurs during the annual festival..

The annual Gelede festival is usually sponsored by the community so it tends to be larger.

The festival begins with an all-night concert called efe, which features the Efe male mask, who uses satire to entertain and educate..

After the efe dance, most of the attendees spend the morning sleeping in preparation for the afternoon dance, which takes place in the marketplace and features pairs of male dancers who perform to fast-paced music with a vigorous beat.


Having to be trained from an early age, the maskers must be able to match up the sound of their anklets with the sound of the drums while having to be able to anticipate drum solos and the other maskers.

The Gelede ceremony involves carefully choreographed dance, singing and music, and especially drumming. The performances are given by men, wearing masks that feature sculpted images of scenes including animals and people or sewing machines and drums.

Most of the headdresses have facial adornments, ranging from lineage marks to decorative tattoos, which are either incised or painted.

The Costumes of the Gelede performance directly relate to the connection of women and motherhood of the society.

Consisting of a baby sash, breasts, buttocks, metal anklets, colored panels, a horsetail whisk, and a fan, the materials of the Gelede costumes have various connotations. The daytime performances of the Gelede festival are more elaborate and colorful compared to the nighttime performances, with the exception of the Efe costume. This is because during the nighttime performances the costumes are harder to see, so it would be counterproductive to have really elaborate costumes that wouldn't be seen.

The pair of men masquerade as women to amuse, please and placate the mothers who are considered very powerful, and who may use their powers for good or destructive purposes. Gelede masks are worn with a costume consisting of layers of elaborate, colorful cloth.


The Gelede "mask" is more accurately a headdress, since it rests on top of the head and the wearer's face is covered by a cloth veil. The headdress takes the form of a human head, on top of which are motifs that are intended to entertain onlookers but, in addition, usually address social concerns that may also be expressed in songs that are part of the masquerade. The headdresses are usually brightly painted.

Individuals or families will usually go to any length to make their headdresses as attractive and humorous as possible. The endless variety of the motifs and their combinations makes it difficult to attempt to construct a typology of Gelede headdresses.

The Gelede and Efe dance is very popular among the Yoruba Egun people but is also practiced by the Ibarapa people of Oyo State.



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