Oriki: Yoruba praise name on verge of extinction

Oriki (oral poetic eulogy) is a unique tradition common among the Yoruba people of South West Nigeria to praise, greet or honour a person, place or people for their accomplishments in a way that connects them with their source and reminds them of their origin. ‘Orí’ means head, while ‘Kì’ means to praise, or greet, […]

Oriki (oral poetic eulogy) is a unique tradition common among the Yoruba people of South West Nigeria to praise, greet or honour a person, place or people for their accomplishments in a way that connects them with their source and reminds them of their origin.

‘Orí’ means head, while ‘Kì’ means to praise, or greet, and offer accolades through song or a chant.

Oriki could be deployed to titillate and make people happy, particularly when they are angry or in an irritable state of mind. For instance, when a toddler is in a bad mood and crying, parents deploy the family’s eulogy to calm the baby down and make him or her happy.

Also, Oriki is used to recognize influential people such as traditional rulers and prominent personalities. It is also used to pay tribute to the dead. Oriki chanters are deployed during special occasions such as coronations, birthdays, naming and funeral ceremonies to spice up the event.

• Tinubu’s assault on democracy: Rivers now, who’s next?
• How we were forced to confess to withcraft – Victims

Reciting Oriki during special occasions like weddings, naming ceremonies, or community gatherings strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of shared pride.

Due to his revered position in the history of the Yoruba race, the Ooni of Ife, widely referred to as the custodian of the Yoruba culture and tradition, has a special Oriki that is attached to his personality and throne.

His Royal Majesty the Ooni of Ife is referred to as “Oonirisa, jingbini bi ate akun”(Ooni of the gods, plenteous like a tray of akun beads), among others.

For the late Aláàfin of Oyo, Ọba Lamidi Adeyemi III, his panegyrics which comes in parts, include a 99-line epithet that venerates his personality and throne.

The Oriki can be chanted by mouth or using the drums. It is a tradition held in high prestige, especially for royalty. However, the tradition seems to be fading as a limited number of persons or communities still practice it.

A popular Oriki chanter, Pa Jimoh Akanbi, who inherited the practice from his father, described Oriki as a cultural spectacle among the Yoruba. He said “Oriki is embodied by praise-poetry that comes with deep spirituality. The words in Oriki are not just ordinary. They are specially derived from histories and sometimes reveal hidden facts about people and their ancestors. Oriki can be used to connect with the spirit realm and ancestors.”

An Oriki drummer, Mr Ayanleke Oniluayo, said people celebrate their ancestry, strengthen their bonds with the society, and draw strength from the tales of their ancestors by reciting Oriki. He said drumming Oriki with talking drum makes people happy and excited.

Ayanleke said, “Oriki is usually accompanied by a talking drum known as Ilu gangan. Oriki exerts a psychological force on the people. It could come in music, sung both to the living and the dead. And it could come in drumming for those that understand the language of the talking drum. So, Oriki is expressed by drums and chant in the Yoruba language.”

While some scholars say the Oriki culture appears to be gradually fading among the present generation, others disagree.

A traditionalist, Chief Ogungbe Akanmu, said religion is one of the factors killing Oriki in Yorubaland, noting that some Muslims and Christians consider certain verses of Oriki as hyping deities and traditional beliefs.

He also identified the influence of foreign language as one of the factors affecting Oriki in Yorubaland. “Some parents nowadays don’t speak Yoruba with their children at home. In fact, some adult Yorubas don’t understand Yoruba language and cannot speak Yoruba fluently. How do you expect such person to appreciate Oriki? For you to appreciate Oriki, you must understand the words and connect with them.”

Akanmu also identified scarcity of chanters as a major problem after the demise of known chanters. “There is need to train more people on Oriki chanting. We lost quality Oriki chanters and they were not replaced. We need to produce more chanters. While individuals can only recite the Oriki of their family, chanters can recite the Oriki of so many families. So, we need chanters from generation to generation to pass on Oriki chanting,” he said.

A parent and resident of Ilọrin, Yahaya AbdulAzeez, agreed that Oriki, also called panegyrics, is going extinct and calls for a quick response on the part of parents, educational institutions and the government.

According to him, “We send our children to private nursery and primary schools at the stage their cultural identity is very important. These institutions or establishments don’t prioritise historical or traditional heritage except to showcase them at their cultural events.”

Many parents, he noted, don’t even know or understand the importance. “It’s bad enough that we don’t even want to relate deeply with our culture. You see, we are now in a digital age where parents no longer teach their wards these things. Yet, these are values that make us Yoruba, Nigerians and Africans. Most parents have abandoned those values and tenets to embrace the digital world in the name of civilization.”

“For some of us born into the 60s, our parents appreciated and appeased us with Oriki whenever we make them happy and that is why most times when my children and grandchildren call me to say hello, I go to their lineage panegyrics and reel out their Oriki to appreciate them,” he added.

He, however, said the warning signs are very clear. “But I know they will not continue that tradition, and it is saddening and regrettable that this is where we found ourselves now.”

To rescue the situation, Alhaji Aramide…. said “We need a lot of ethnic activists and for the government to go back to the basics and reintroduce Yoruba and other local languages in the school curriculum.

“With the way we are going, we may eventually lose the Oriki,” he said.

On whether technological tools can help in the preservation of Oriki, Alhaji Aramide said “We might be chasing shadows if we say we should deploy technology tools to enhance and preserve their learning because Oriki needs to be assimilated before making use of it.

“The problem now is with the millennial generation who are glued to their gadgets. But all of us are guilty in this regard, especially most parents in South West. It is only on rare occasions that families and parents in that region want their children to study Yoruba linguistics, while believing that every other course is prestigious,” he submitted.

When asked what she understands by the term Oriki, Fatimah Abdulkareem, 15, said “Asides my parents calling me by my Oriki, Aduke, I don’t really have a deep knowledge of it. Also, the language of communication in school is English. Although my parents adopted the policy of speaking Yoruba to us at home, which has greatly enhanced our understanding of the language, there is hardly any time set aside to take us through it,” she added.

Oyindamola Audu, a university undergraduate, said she knows next to nothing about Oriki. “I only know that my Oriki is Ajoke, that is all. My parents have not used it to eulogise me before to inspire me to pick interest.”

Zainab Abdullahi, who is awaiting her NYSC call up, also shared a similar view. She said “Though I was told that my Oriki is Abeke, I don’t know a thing beyond that.”

Speaking on the issue, a historian and member of Emir of Ilọrin’s Durbar Community, Professor Ibrahim Abdulganiy Jawondo, said “Oriki or epithets are formations of our social milieu and not limited to a particular group of people, but that of the Yoruba is more pronounced.”

The historian said Oriki is getting extinct because of many factors.

“Ordinarily, Oriki looks local to many people which explains the craze of people anglicising their names even if they don’t want to change. Modernity and the effect of westernisation plays a big role, including the influx of foreign films fuelled by poor content, production and simulation,” he posited.

“But however, we may want to look at it, Oriki remains a very significant part of our society and it’s better we continue to use it to ensure its sustenance because of its inherent advantages,” he summited.

Also, the Commissioner for Culture in Osun State, Abiodun Ojo, said his ministry is making efforts to protect and preserve all aspects of the Yoruba culture, including Oriki. Ojo said “We are trying to preach this in our primary and secondary schools. We will continue to promote Oriki and encourage our people to keep this tradition alive.”