Yoruba people

=== Music ===
{{See also|Yoruba music|Batá drum}}
[[File:Drummers of traditional Gbedu drum in Yoruba land of Nigeria.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gbedu]] drummers]]
[[File:Bata drums.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Batá drum]] – from left: ''Okónkolo'', ''Iyá'', ''Itótele''|172px]]
[[File:Yoruba slit drum.jpg|left|thumb|A Yoruba slit drum (on the left) together with a traditional membrane drum (on the right)|150px]]
The music of the Yoruba people is perhaps best known for an extremely advanced drumming tradition,<ref>{{cite book|title=Yorùbá Music in the Twentieth Century Identity, Agency, and Performance Practice|author=Bode Omojola|date=4 December 2012|publisher=University of Rochester Press|access-date=28 February 2014|url=http://www.urpress.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=14012|isbn=978-1-58046-409-3}}</ref> especially using the dundun<ref name="Turino pg. 43">Turino, pp. 181–182; Bensignor, François with Eric Audra, and Ronnie Graham, "Afro-Funksters" and "From Hausa Music to Highlife" in the ''Rough Guide to World Music'', pp. 432–436 and pp. 588–600; Karolyi, pg. 43</ref> hourglass tension drums. The representation of musical instruments on sculptural works from Ile-Ife, indicates, in general terms a substantial accord with oral traditions. A lot of these musical instruments date back to the classical period of Ile-Ife, which began at around the tenth century A.D. Some were already present prior to this period, while others were created later. The hourglass tension drum (Dùndún) for example, may have been introduced around the 15th century (1400s), the [[Benin Bronzes|Benin bronze plaques]] of the middle period depicts them. Others like the double and single iron clapper-less bells are examples of instruments that preceded classical Ife.<ref>{{cite thesis |author=Tamara De Silva |title=Symbols and Ritual: the Socio-Religious Role of the Ìgbìn Drum Family |others=Professor Renée Ater, faculty advisor |degree=Master of Arts |year=2006 |publisher=Department of Art History and Archaeology, University of Maryland |url=http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/3919/1/umi-umd-3770.pdf |access-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> Yoruba [[folk music]] became perhaps the most prominent kind of [[Music of West Africa|West African music]] in [[Afro-Caribbean music|Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical]] styles. Yoruba music left an especially important influence on the music of [[Trinidad]], the [[Lucumi religion|Lukumi]] religious traditions,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/85753/Bata-Drumming-Notations-Discographies-Glossary |title=Bata Drumming Notations Discographies Glossary (''Bata Drumming & the Lucumi Santeria BembeCeremony'') |website=Scribd Online |access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref> [[Capoeira]] practice in Brazil and the [[music of Cuba]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article17|website=Conunto Folkorico Nacional De Cuba Música Yoruba, Soul Force 101|title=Yoruba Sacred Music, Old World and New by John Gray|access-date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213854/http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article17|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref>

Yoruba drums typically belong to four major families, which are used depending on the context or genre where they are played. The [[Talking drum|Dùndún / Gángan family]], is the class of hourglass shaped talking drums, which imitate the sound of Yoruba speech. This is possible because the Yoruba language is tonal in nature. It is the most common and is present in many Yoruba traditions, such as [[Apala]], [[Jùjú music|Jùjú]], [[Sekere]] and [[Afrobeat]]. The second is the [[Sakara drum|Sakara family]]. Typically, they played a ceremonial role in royal settings, weddings and [[Oriki|Oríkì]] recitation; it is predominantly found in traditions such as [[Sakara music]], [[Were music|Were]] and [[Fuji music]]. The [[Gbedu|Gbedu family]] (literally, "large drum") is used by secret fraternities such as the Ogboni and royal courts. Historically, only the Oba might dance to the music of the drum. If anyone else used the drum they were arrested for sedition of royal authority. The Gbèdu are conga shaped drums played while they sit on the ground. ''Akuba'' drums (a trio of smaller conga-like drums related to the gbèdu) are typically used in afrobeat. The ''Ogido'' is a cousin of the gbedu. It is also shaped like a conga but with a wider array of sounds and a bigger body. It also has a much deeper sound than the conga. It is sometimes referred to as the "bass drum". Both hands play directly on the Ogido drum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lagbaja.com/drums/ogido.php|website=Lagbaja|title=Ogido|access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Benin, yoruba, campanaccio per invocare gli spiriti o le divinità,.JPG|thumb|right|Traditional [[Agogô|Agogo]] metal gongs|100px]]
Today, the word ''Gbedu'' has also come to be used to describe forms of Nigerian Afrobeat and Hip Hop music. The fourth major family of Yoruba drums is the [[Batá drum|Bàtá family]], which are well-decorated double-faced drums, with various tones. They were historically played in sacred rituals. They are believed to have been introduced by [[Shango]], an Orisha, during his earthly incarnation as a warrior king.

Traditional Yoruba drummers are known as ''Àyán''. The Yoruba believe that ''Àyángalú'' was the first drummer, one who became the patron Orisha of drumming following his demise. As a result, he is believed to be the spirit or muse that inspires contemporary drummers during renditions. This is why some Yoruba family names contain the prefix 'Ayan-' such as Ayangbade, Ayantunde, Ayanwande.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rateyourmusic.com/genre/Yoruba+Music/|title=Yoruba music|access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref> Ensembles using the [[Talking drum|dundun]] play a type of music that is also called ''dundun''.<ref name="Turino pg. 43"/> The [[Ashiko]] (Cone shaped drums), ''Igbin'', [[Gudugudu]] (Kettledrums in the Dùndún family), [[Agidigbo]] and Bèmbé are other drums of importance. The leader of a dundun ensemble is the ''oniyalu'' meaning; ' ''Owner of the mother drum'' ', who uses the drum to "talk" by imitating the [[tonality]] of Yoruba. Much of this music is spiritual in nature, and is often devoted to the [[Orisa]]s.

Within each drum family there are different sizes and roles; the lead drum in each family is called ''Ìyá'' or ''Ìyá Ìlù'', which means "Mother drum", while the supporting drums are termed ''Omele''. Yoruba drumming exemplifies West-African cross-rhythms and is considered to be one of the most advanced drumming traditions in the world. Generally, improvisation is restricted to master drummers. Some other instruments found in Yoruba music include, but are not limited to; The [[Goje|Gòjé]] ([[violin]]), Shèkèrè (gourd rattle), Agidigbo (thumb piano that takes the shape of a plucked [[Lamellophone]]), ''Saworo'' (metal rattles for the arm and ankles, also used on the rim of the bata drum), ''Fèrè'' ([[whistle]]s), ''Aro'' ([[Cymbal]])s, [[Agogô]] ([[Bell (instrument)|bell]]), different types of [[flute]]s include the ''Ekutu'', ''Okinkin'' and ''Igba''.

[[Oriki]] (or praise singing), a genre of sung poetry that contains a series of proverbial phrases, praising or characterizing the respective person and which is of Egba and Ekiti origin, is often considered the oldest Yoruba musical tradition. Yoruba music is typically [[Polyrhythm]]ic, which can be described as interlocking sets of rhythms that fit together somewhat like the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. There is a basic timeline and each instrument plays a pattern in relation to that timeline. The resulting ensemble provides the typical sound of West African Yoruba drumming. Yoruba music is a component of the modern Nigerian popular music scene. Although traditional Yoruba music was not influenced by foreign music, the same cannot be said of modern-day Yoruba music, which has evolved and adapted itself through contact with foreign instruments, talent, and creativity.
{{clear}}