Paper short abstract:

The influence of modern culture poses a threat to indigenous musical practices and the resulting cultural ideals. This paper examines past and present indigenous musical practices in the Ovwuvwe festival in Nigeria, highlighting and contextualising Africanism through indigenous musical traditions.

Paper long abstract:

In Africa, most cultural practices revolve around indigenous musical performances, which are the primary means of disseminating indigenous knowledge and values. They act as a means of re-enacting historical, social, and cultural affinities and documenting and maintaining indigenous knowledge. Indigenous musical practices also serve as a repository for indigenous knowledge and artistic tradition. However, in the twenty-first century, the influence of modern culture poses a significant threat to these indigenous musical practices and the resulting cultural ideals. They are viewed as mere entertainment, which minimises the cultural characteristics of these indigenous musical practices. This paper examines past and present indigenous musical practices in the Ovwuvwe cultural festival observed by the Urhobo people in Delta State, Nigeria, to highlight and contextualise Africanism through indigenous musical traditions. The research methodology employed in this study is based on an indigenous knowledge framework that prioritises the study of indigenous music through an indigenous prism. This study enables a re-evaluation of indigenous musical practices' role and space within Urhobo culture using trans-disciplinary approaches. The interviews with the participants and ceremonialists confirm that indigenous musical practices relate to and are rooted in the indigenous culture of the people. This study offers recommendations for advancing indigenous musical practices' integration with contemporary practices without losing their originality, purpose, meaning, and message. The study significantly expands the field of African studies by demonstrating how indigenous music traditions support other facets of African cultural practices.