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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