Aesthetic of Costume and Colours in Idoma Masquerade performances

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Date

2014

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Department of the Performing Arts, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

The culture of a people emanates from the belief in their world which is woven round the natural factors and the imaginary make believe to form the basis of their existence. In most Afican societies, these believes are accompanied by catharsis, be it religious, social or political to serve the need of the people or to achieve societal goals. Hence, cultural performances provide core explanations for man/spirit relationships. This principle also applies to Idoma people of Benue State, Nigeria. Through artisanal means, in the words of Anyebe (2012, p. 453), the physical and the metaphysical componential parts of Idoma universe mesh together and the reasonable definiteness sought after in the pantheon is the fulfillment of man's wellbeing. These performances involve the people to invoke and achieve believability through the use of elements such as music, dance, drama, makeup, costumes, colours and props. This in turn gives the Idoma masquerade performance a total perception on how it is aesthetically seen, interpreted and understood. In this discourse, we examine the functions that costumes and colours play; its meaning and how it has been use to enhance Idoma masquerade performance as it gives identity and better understanding to the people.

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Keywords

Aesthetics, Masquerade, Costume, Colour.

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