The Sociocultural Significance of the Emedjo (Masquerade) Dance Among the Abraka People in Delta State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Dance serves an important role in the cultural lives of a people and transcends the overall aesthetics of the body to convey the cultural essence of the dance. Among the Abraka people, the emedjo dance is an art form that reflects their cultural beliefs and thus goes beyond mere aesthetic dancing. The foremost challenges to the survival of the emedjo dance are Christianity and Western influence and if not addressed, these can adversely affect the cultural potency of the dance and in turn the intrinsic cultural elements thereof. This paper, therefore, serves as an avenue to bring to the fore the social-cultural significance of the dance, using social-cultural material to illustrate the intrinsic nature of the dance, thereby preserving the cultural context thereof. To accomplish this, the researcher used a range of data gathering methods, including interviews, participant observation, and a review of related literature. Dunham’s conceptual and ethnographic theory was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the social-cultural significance of the emedjo dance as both an observer and a participant observer during the dance performance. The study concludes that emedjo dance is an art form that can entertain, inform, and educate the Abraka people about the uniqueness of their cultural heritage and remind them of their cultural roots. The study, therefore, recommends that, for sustainability and continuity, the emedjo dance should not be limited to the dance performance alone but should also include the dance’s many artefacts. Such factors ensure the emedjo masquerade dance culture’s continuity and originality. Keywords: emedjo dance, masquerade, Abraka people, cultural dance, ceremonial dance.