“An Agidigbo that Everyone can Dance”: Drums, Flavours and Performance in The Poetics of Niyi Osundare

The Yoruba adage goes thus, “Bi owe, bi owe la n lulu agidigbo, ologbon nii joo, omoran ni sii moo”. Meaning, “Proverbial is the rhythm of the agidigbo drum, only the wise can dance ( to it ) and only the knowledgeable can understand ( it )”. The immediate trope of the paper is that like the agidigbo, a rather uncommon indigenous drum set, poetry is traditionally expected to be a difficult genre reserved only for the intellectual and elite class. At another level, drums in the various forms, compositions and classifications in the indigenous African settings have been identified as functioning both as symbols and as signs in the semiotic parlance in very significant manner in the poetry of Osundare. The theses of the paper are that in the first instance, drums contribute to the aesthetics and semantics of Osundare’s poetry to the extent that what ordinarily should have been difficult have been made easy and accessible. More importantly, drums have served as a means of Africanising the flavours of Osundare’s poetry, transforming the English language of rendition into something deeply rooted in African oral traditions. Our assumptions here are that the African audience is naturally attracted to the sound of their drums; they have a way of enjoying and understanding the language embedded within these rhythmic instruments. Furthermore, drums hold a universal means of constructing meaning for different audiences, making them a powerful literary and cultural tool. Osundare, through his poetics, has masterfully incorporated this element, ensuring that his work remains both culturally authentic and engaging. Ultimately, the intersection of drums, poetry, and language in Osundare’s works reinforces the depth, vibrancy, and accessibility of African literary traditions. All these essential artistic and cultural elements are seamlessly met in the poetics of Niyi Osundare who utilizes his Yoruba ingenuity.