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Egedege, A Symbol Of Igbo Culture And Heritage
History
The popular Egedege Dance is one of the most renowned traditional dance outfits and an Igbo traditional Royal-styled cultural dance in the whole of South-Eastern part of Nigeria as a Symbol Of Igbo Culture And Heritage.
Having been Founded in 1985, it is a reincarnation of an old version of the dance originally performed by the ancestors of the present-day Unubi. In those days, it was a moonlight dance, performed by youths.
As the years went by, however, It has evolved and has been remodeled to fit modern trends. Originally Their performance is a combination of songs, dance, Instrumentation, and colorful traditional outfits.
This performance is introduced by elaborate fluting which is the entrance cue that heralds the group, led by the queen. The singing only begins when the queen reaches the stage and takes the microphone.
The dancer is adorned with a beautiful outfit, usually arrives under a big umbrella, carried by one man, with another fanning her from behind. She sings but sometimes dances to the rhythm of the instrument playing.
Madam Theresa
Egedege dance was popularised by Mrs. Theresa Onuorah in Unubi Town. She is happily married and lives in Unubi. The name Egedege stems from a local slang for richness and bravery which explains why the dance is considered Cultural classics and is only played in royal homes or rich families in the Igbo culture.
The queen is dressed in an expensive and elaborately designed and decorated robe, held at the waist by ten waist bead strings. Her crown is of bronze, overlaid with beautiful ostrich feathers. Many more beads adorn her neck. In her hands, she holds a horsetail and a bronze staff.
The dancers and instrumentalists are dressed uniformly in raffia waist shrouds and armbands, calf and ankle jingles, several bead necklaces, around their heads, they wear red ribbons. The major overall color impressions are red and white.
The tempo of the egedege dance matches the tempo of the music, which is dependent on the beat of the drum, “ogene,” a metal gong instrument, Udu, ekwe and flutes, and other local instruments. Although the dance was widely popularized by Queen Theresa Onuorah as the leader of Egedege dance of Africa which has helped in promoting the cultural mosaic of the Igbo cultural heritage.
Mrs. Theresa Onuorah is the mother of controversial Nigerian artist Speed Darlington who was born in his hometown of Arondizuogu in Ideato North local government area of Imo State, Nigeria. As a child, he toured round with his mum showcasing the rich igbo traditional Egedege dance. Currently, he is a US-based Nigerian rapper, who has gone viral several times on social media after his music videos hit the internet.
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