Agidigbo
Encyclopedia
The agidigbo is a large traditional plucked lamellophone used by the Yoruba
people of Nigeria
. Its appearance is piano-like; a rope is worn round the neck of the player who then supports or braces the instrument, whose body is a rectangular wooden box, by his chest or thoracic region. The player wears a thick "ring," usually a bottle neck, on his thumb, which he uses to tap the sides of the wooden box. He then uses his ten fingers to pluck the instrument's metal tongues, producing very sonorous tones, as he accompanies a sekere
, or waka
or an apala
band.
The instrument is most popular in the Ibadan
and Ijebu
areas of Yorubaland
.
Babatunde Olatunji
famously plays an agidigbo on "Oyin Momo Ado" (Sweet as Honey), which is track 7 on his 1959 Drums of Passion album.
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
people of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Its appearance is piano-like; a rope is worn round the neck of the player who then supports or braces the instrument, whose body is a rectangular wooden box, by his chest or thoracic region. The player wears a thick "ring," usually a bottle neck, on his thumb, which he uses to tap the sides of the wooden box. He then uses his ten fingers to pluck the instrument's metal tongues, producing very sonorous tones, as he accompanies a sekere
Sekere
This article is about the musical genre. For the musical instrument, see Shekere.Sekere is a type of traditional Yoruba musical genre that was pioneered and popularized by the one and only "king of sekere," the late Alhaji Alamu Atatalo from Ibadan, Nigeria...
, or waka
Waka
Waka may refer to:* Waka , canoes of the Māori of New Zealand**Waka taua, a Maori war canoe* Waka , a genre of Japanese poetry* Waka , a proposed replacement for HTTP* Waka music, a musical genre from Yorubaland of Nigeria...
or an apala
Apala
Apala is a musical genre, originally derived from the Yoruba people of Nigeria.It is a percussion-based style that developed in the late 1930s, when it was used to wake worshippers after fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan...
band.
The instrument is most popular in the Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
and Ijebu
Ijebu
Ijebu was a Yoruba kingdom in pre-colonial Nigeria. It formed around the fifteenth century. According to legend, its ruling dynasty was founded by Obanta of Ile-Ife...
areas of Yorubaland
Yorùbáland
Yorubaland, or Yorùbáland , is a cultural region in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Yoruba people.- History :-Settlement:Oduduwa is regarded as the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba...
.
Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
famously plays an agidigbo on "Oyin Momo Ado" (Sweet as Honey), which is track 7 on his 1959 Drums of Passion album.