The Cultural Significance of Kengbe Dance in Ilorin Marriage in the 20th Century
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Date
2020
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Department of History & International Studies, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigereia
Abstract
Marriage as religious and social institutions was the only occasion with the most elaborate feast
in Ilorin in the 20th century. The 20 th century marriage in Ilorin was full of both cultural and religious activities which usually spread between five and seven days, with its attendant
activites. Kengbe dance which was parts of the cultural aspect of marriage in Ilorin was often
accompanied with its peculiar songs in Yoruba language but its cultural politics has influenced
the different ethnic groups that made up of Ilorin community and this explained why the tunes,
the dances and the dresses of the Kengbe dance group were of northern Nigeria outlook. The
wolimah marked by the public reading of Quran by the bride/groom was parts of religious
activities 3. This paper examines the cultural activities attached to marriage in Ilorin with
reference to the significant roles of Kengbe dance in marriage ceremony in Ilorin in the 20th
century. It also analyses the stages or places where Kengbe dance took place during marriage as
well as the replacement of the cultural aspect of the marriage ceremony with modern innovations. The method of research and information gathering used are secondary source and primary source, mostly interviews with veteran Kengbe dancers and singers, old, young men and women in Ilorin community.