The Peculiar Significance Of ‘Ese’'Music And Dance In Mbaise Community Of Imo State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Ese, significance/societal values, the ensemble/dancer(s), performance situation and repertoireAbstract
In this study, the creative and aesthetic merits inherent in 'Ese' music and dance in Mbaise clan, Imo state, Nigeria was evaluated. It gears to interrupt willful observations by western-oriented music lovers, contrary to Igbo music realities as demonstrated in the 'Ese' ensemble. The major research approaches applied to realize this were interview and active participant-observation methodologies to discover the details of Mbaise societal intentions on 'Ese' rendition. Theories on the development, growth and nature of the traditional dance music, deduced from its formal structure, are necessary means to an end in appreciating this subject matter. It was concluded that 'Ese', as dance music of indigenous community, translates abstract ideas into societal values, and tends to endow social acts with initiation. Therefore it was vital to explore the dance music to its terminal point through research, and after which, reconcile with the theories on
other Igbo music and dances.
