By Anderson Isiagu, November 14th, 2018
INTRODUCTION This paper sets out to make a case that Igbo culture, and Africa by extension, in spite of not having had a written or literate study of aesthetic, does not imply the absence of taste, value or the sensory appreciation of beauty in a work of art. The Igbo ethnic group are found in the south east region of Nigeria and, like the rest of Nigeria, are blessed with rich cultural practices. Some of these practices are particular to the Igbo race while some are universal to Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The Atilogwu Dance is unique only to the Igbo race but shares performance practices and rituals that are found among other tribes and cultures in Nigeria. In The Anthropology of Music, Alan P. Merriam enumerated six parameters upon which European aesthetic principles are based. It was an attempt to show that aesthetic, as a philosophy or practice is applicable only to European cultures and that cultures whose art or music do not conform to these parameters do not have a concept or philosophy of aesthetic. For Merriam, works of art (the product), their creative process and the way they are perceived must portray a psychic distance, manipulation of form for its on sake, attribution of emotion-producing qualities to music conceived strictly as sound, attribution of beauty to the art product or process, purposeful intent to create something aesthetic, and finally, presence of a philosophy of aesthetic. Since African art and cultures do not conform to these six parameters, Merriam concluded, Africa does not have a concept of aesthetic. If the concept of aesthetic is about the feeling or perception of beauty, then it would be rather unfair to say that Africa has no perception, or a system of differentiating that which is beautiful from what is not. Since the topic of aesthetic continues to be a source of controversy among scholars regarding what exactly it is, I will like to start by sampling its dictionary definition and etymology as well as the original thoughts of the man who established this field of aesthetic around mid 1700, Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the etymology of the word aesthetic originates from their use in German, Latin and Greek. Asthetisch is German for that which pertains to taste or discernment. This has a correlation with the Latin and Greek from which it was borrowed. The Latin aestheticus was also borrowed from the Greek aithetikos, which means sensible, to perceive, understand or take notice of . In his writings, Baumgarten stressed the importance of feeling in the creative art. It should not merely be enough to posit that art imitates nature, but that the artist must reflect the creative process of nature in his or her work. In doing this, an artist is able to add and attach a recognizable feeling to obvious realities. This is a call for the manipulation of artistic processes, a conscious attempt to create, alter or attach an emotional substance that bystanders, audiences or spectators can recognize, empathize and relate to. As we would see shortly, the Atilogwu dance consists of premeditated dance sequences that mirror everyday life and its cultural worldview. The aspect of art, of music, of dance that captures the attention of an audience is universal and it is a testament to man’s natural desire to gravitate towards that which he relates to. Relating to the familiar locks one’s attention, and further more, the individual could become totally fascinated by the artistic work unfolding in front of him. His sensibilities are engaged and the perception or discernment of the work translates into love or hate, pleasure or disdain and appreciation or dislike. This births taste, as one begins to make more conscious choices that seek to witness artistic undertakings that bring them joy or mirror emotions that they recognize. The point of this argument can be wrapped up in the opening statement of Aristotle’s Metaphysics, that “all men by nature desire to know.” Knowing then, is a universal trait that is not distinguished by culture or geographical location. All men, African, European, Asian and otherwise have, innate in them, the ability and desire to know. By making an attempt to know and discern performances, or works of art, man is drawn deeper and deeper into a spell like focus. A focus that is expressed by silence through movements in a European setting musical performance and by full audience participation in Igbo culture. ATILÓGWÙ Atilógwù is a dance genre that is popular among the Igbo of South East Nigeria. Some Nigerian Igbo scholars believe that the genre may have originated from Udi Hills among the Ukpo people of present day Enugu State. This is however, still a point of controversy. But there is a general consensus that it is a product of Eastern Nigeria. Atilógwù is characterized by very colorful costumes, acrobatic and energetic displays, vigorous dance sequences and dense percussive instrumentation. Most of the dance moves are usually pre-arranged and performances are dotted with moments of freedom and improvisation. Let us consider what I have found to be a detailed picture of the Atilógwù dance by Laz Ekwueme: "At a display of a good Atilógwù dance, for example, one can see the movement of the arms and legs of the dancers in time and space, as well as those of the drummers ; one can hear the sound of the music, the stamping of the feet, the jingling of the bells and other appendages that form part of the costume ; one can smell the sweat flowing from the dancers and drummers as their physical exertion manifests itself abundantly ; one can feel the touch of the « participating » spectators as they surge forward, crowding in for a closer but not necessarily clearer view, or the touch of the dancers themselves as they act out parts in close body contact with one another and with the excited spectators ; and one can taste the red earth as the billowing dust from the laterite soil is raised by stamping and shuffling feet of dancers and spectators alike." The name of the dance, Atilógwù, is short for the question a tinyere ya ógwù? Literally, this translates to “is magic involved?” Further studies and research would be required to fully ascertain how the name came about. However, deductions and speculations can be made as to its origin. The name Atilogwu must have stemmed from years of protracted discussions, fascination with spectacles and the engagement of the senses by spectators. Spectators who in their bewilderment must have come to the conclusion that the moves, the dance steps and acrobatic maneuvers could not have been possible without supernatural help. This supernatural help ógwù (which literally means medicine, or in this context, charms, or sorcery) could be thought of as magic. DIMENSIONS OF AESTHETIC The Igbo use the word Nma in describing or expressing that which is beautiful, appealing and of value. It is used to describe things or situations that are of interest. Nma has been used to describe music, dance or traditional Igbo drama. It also captures the emotional responses that audiences exude, which are dependent on several aspects of the performance. These include both musical and non-musical factors. What then are these factors responsible for engaging the audience? What part of a performance appeals to the audience? What appeals to taste? And what aspect of the performance triggers their fascination? Ijeoma I. Forchu captures this when she noted that: "The aesthetic of music is conceptualized… with regard to the degree of appeal it makes to the audience. Even though the society does not have a comprehensive term to capture all components of aesthetic in one word, it does conceptualize music as being beautiful/sweet (i to uto, i ma nma) and, conversely, bad (i jo njo). Hence, there is a deliberate intent to create aesthetic music that can be admired by those who hear it. Music is generally considered in conjunction with an event or a situation. It is hardly taken out of its cultural context and treated abstractly as something that exists on its own and for itself." Appeal is directly related to the world view and cultural practices of the people. Musical performances in the Igbo culture are functional and portray deep significances that people could relate to. Such performances are centered around the core social, cultural and religious beliefs of the society, featuring the seen and unseen, the historical and the mythological as well as the metaphorical. Performances teach, philosophize, and are rich in the customs and pithy sayings of the Igbo culture. The incorporation of these themes increases the level of appeal of a performance.
The following poem by Chidi Emenike, titled Atilogwu, captures the milieu and thought process of the audience and gives an idea of value and taste as far as the Atilogwu dance is concerned. Atilógwù Egwu ndi Igbo Egwu di egwu dịazị omimi Egwu anaghị agwụ ike nkili Egwu ụwa dum mara maka ya. Egwu ndi ikolobia na ụmụ agbọgọ Egwu ike na ndi rijuru afọ Onye ike na-adịghị anaghị agba gị Ọ bụ gị ka e jiri mara ndi Igbo I nwere anwansi dị egwu Taa, ekiriena m gị, i ju m afọ Ahụ m na-ama jijiji n’anụrị Obi m na-echekwa oge m g’ịhụ gị ọzọ Echi, aga m ikili gị ọzọ, Mana afọ agaghị kwa iju m ma ọlị N’ihi na gị bụ egwu dị iche Egwu dị omimi n’agaghị anwụ anwụ. Translation: Atilógwù The Igbo dance, The dance that one never tires of watching, The dance that is known all over the world, The dance for young boys and girls, The acrobatic and energetic dance for the well-fed, You are not for the weak, You have placed the Igbo on the world map, Your aura is captivating, Today, I have watched you, How I enjoyed you. I am so happy that I have watched you, And I am already dreaming of When I will watch you again Tomorrow, I will watch you again, I know I will never tire of watching you Because you are a unique dance Yes, you are an extraordinary dance You will never die. (Translated by by Ihechi Obisike Nkoro) Dances and musical performances like the Atilógwù are staged, not merely for the sake of entertainment, but also as a tool for using the seen, physical gestures and portrayals in the performances to experience the unseen. Dance sequences feature rituals, which is a tool for experiencing the unseen worldview of the Igbo culture. The performance becomes a self contained object, a figura, which brings together and exemplifies the unseen substance of the Igbo culture with the seen. They may portray the power of an unseen deity or portray the lofty qualities of a long dead ancestor. Laz Ekwueme states this more clearly thus: "… The idea of the mmanwu — believed to be spirits of dead ancestors come back to dwell temporarily among men — may be likened to the Catholic dogma of transubstantiation. Bread is blessed and becomes transformed into the body of Christ, and wine becomes his blood. After the blessing, these material objects cease to be what they were and become flesh and blood. A partaker knows they were bread and wine, but takes them in true conviction that they are the flesh and blood of Christ. Similarly, with the masquerade: a man dons a costume and becomes a dead ancestor come back to a supernatural life. He knows he is a man but believes he has become spirit and acts as such. Those who see him, fall under the same spell: they forget the man in the costume and see the moving spirit who is feared and revered, such that fathers bow to sons and chiefs may be whipped by serfs — or, rather, by spirits played by serfs." Audiences place value on the shared beliefs that show up in these performances. Beliefs such as the recognition of the man who is portraying an ancestor as not being a mere mortal anymore but the embodiment of the ancestor or deity. Such performances, deeply rooted in the worldview of the culture elicits sensory reactions and the judgment of a performance as satisfactory or good or beautiful. Atilógwù, as well as other art forms in the Igbo culture engage the audiences at both physical and mental levels. Mental participation is evidenced by audience chatter, this is common. These chatters could happen in the form of mild to serious debates about the spectacles going on in the performance, enthusiastic conversations arising from the enjoyment of the music and dances, or bewildered fascination, which elicits questions bordering on the ancestor or supernatural spirit being depicted, it could also be centered around the authenticity of the dance moves, or the unnatural acrobatic displays. Participation is important here. People would only participate in performances that appeal to and excite them. It is common for a musical genre or performance to gain popularity and followership based on how much audience participation it incorporates. On the participation of the audience, Forchu puts it thus: "Communication here was not one way. Members of the audience respectfully and, in an orderly manner, intermittently interjected their agreement and, seldom, disagreement with the message of the soloist. These forms gave room for inclusive participation of individuals in the society by giving the audience members the opportunity to air their views on issues that concerned their lives, thus lending itself to human development purposes." Participation of the audience is a regular feature at performances and it is customary for audiences to burst into ecstatic dance moves as a way of expressing their fascination with the performance they are witnessing. The level of participation, as an integral and particular element of Igbo performances, is then used as some form of verdict on the acceptability of, or value placed on a performance. Atilogwu dancers and musicians are always clad in very colorful costumes, comfortable enough to allow for all the complex dance maneuvers. It is common for these costumes to have attached to them, self sounding idiophones such as castanets and jingles that add rhythmic interest and pulse to the dance. Atilogwu dance groups make conscious efforts to appeal to the taste and good judgment of their audiences, and they achieve this by wearing such beautiful and colorful costumes.
CONCULSION The controversy surrounding the presence or absence of a philosophy of aesthetic could be likened to the presence, or not, of a theory of music in different cultures. The fact that the theory of music, the study of the elements and structures of musical works, was introduced and standardized by Europeans does not automatically mean that music is non-existent in other cultures. The merit of music theory is that the Musics of other cultures are now better understood from an analytical point of view. A better understanding of the musical practices, perception, as well as reception of a people would require that researchers first understand their culture and milieu. Therefore, just as music theory does not validate the presence or absence of music, it is important to not base the presence of an aesthetic concept on the presence or absence of a philosophy or formalized study of aesthetic. Different cultures have different ways and ideologies around the concept of beauty, hence, as have been enumerated above using the Atilogwu dance genre, it is obvious that the so called non-literate cultures of the world possess a concept of beauty which is today known as aesthetic among scholars. It will remain elusive to people whose musical practices are largely different from that of a typical Igbo culture. Scholars, must then use particularities in their musical worldview to understand the music of other cultures rather than as a tool for giving verdicts around what is beautiful or not about the music of such culture. BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, T. “Aesthetic as critical inquiry.” Art Education, 51(5), 1998, 49-55. Retrieved from http://ccl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/docview/199458668?accountid=10141 Aristotle. The Metaphysics. trans. W. D. Ross. (USA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, September, 2012). Ekwueme, L.E.N. "Nigerian Performing Arts: Past, Present and Future with Particular Reference to the Igbo Practice." Présence Africaine, Nouvelle Série, no. 94 (1975): 195-213. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24349845. Emenike, Chidi. “Atilogwu” in Akpa Uche: An Anthology of Modern Igbo verse. ed. Ekechukwu R. M. (Nigeria: University Press Ltd, 1975). Forchu, I. I. (2015). The endangered musical genre: The case of akwunechenyi music of ukpo. Black Music Research Journal, 35(1), 1-22. Retrieved from http://ccl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/docview/1760207038?accountid=10141 Heid, K. “Aesthetic development: A cognitive experience.” Art Education, 58(5),2005, 48-53. Retrieved from http://ccl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/docview/199465516?accountid=10141 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. July 13, 2018. Accessed November 8, 2018 Wolfe, A. S., & Haefner, M. “Taste cultures, culture classes, affective alliances, and popular music reception: Theory, methodology, and an application to a beatles song.” Popular Music and Society, 20(4), 1996, 127-155. Retrieved from http://ccl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/docview/208070149?accountid=10141
