Nigeria, the land of plenty

running up the hill Iragbiji is a small but lively town, in Osun state, surrounded by hills made of curvy rocks emerging from the plain and partly patched with green. It is part of Yorubaland, about sixty kilometres East of Osogbo . The heart of the town is the palace of the Oba (King of the area) next to a yellow multi-storeyed central mosque. The Oba is a muslim. the Oba of Iragbiji Chief Muraina Oyelami , a versatile artist born in 1940, is residing in Iragbiji. He is both a talented talking-drum player and a painter. He welcomed us in his house for a talk on Yoruba culture especially about the talking drums which evolved in shape overtime to the modern form of goat skin cylinder whose sound can be altered by squeezing the ropes that are tied along the circumference of the drum to produce tons and therefore allows to emulate the Yoruba language through rhythm and tonality. three sets of Yoruba drums There are actually three types of drums each playing a specific ro...

egungun collecting money in the leather bag Whispering palms is the name of a resort located on the lagoon between Lagos and Badagry. A sort of local fun place with rooms and sport facilities, music animations on week-ends. Locals congregate there on week-ends as the place of happening. As a matter of fact the nearest place is a village fairly simple, crossed by what is now a bumpy dirt track - it may have been a proper road in a distant past. As we crossed the village, on our way back, a masquerade was taking place. A crowd of men, armed with sticks or branches were surrounding an Egungun (Yoruba spirit) who, at the sound of the drums, was visiting each and every house to collect money offerings. It was said that those who did not want to give would be flogged as an encouragement to disburse something. That was a proper crowdfunding affair on a mandatory basis. the masquerade with sticks and drums The Egungun was covered by colorful clothes and a mask at the back of his hea...