Abstract
ABSTRACT Efforts from female voices in propagating women’s rights and raising the society’s consciousness towards female capabilities is fast attaining volume and recognition in many traditional African societies. In this paper, we will argue that the spoken art rendition of the Ofiori-ndọ (translated loosely as ‘marriage-crier’) in Efik marriages is a heightened voicing in female rights activism, leadership, rhetoric, sublimity and stage energy as it interrogates the roles the female oral artist plays in Efik marriage contexts. With many dimensions to its delivery, this art which is an exclusive preserve of women echoes elements of entertainment, and profitable instruction via the dexterous manipulation of indigenous language resources. The study pursues its task via a qualitative research design which constitutes library and field work. Data was entirely sourced from semi-structured interviews, close observation, conversations and audio-visual recordings. The study submits that the Ofiori-ndọ is crucial in Efik marriages as her art fulfills the ethics and customs of Efik marriages.
Published Version
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