Women in the African past, contrary to being domesticated were not only achievers in their own ri... more Women in the African past, contrary to being domesticated were not only achievers in their own right but also pillars of society. A voyage into African and especially Nigerian history gives a picture of outstanding women who contributed to trade and governance in their various communities and societies. Moremi in pre-colonial Ife kingdom, the Aba Women, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and the Egba Women during the colonial era not to mention other outstanding women in Yoruba and Hausa kingdoms such as Queen Amina, Madam Tinubu and Efunsetan Aniwura (Iyalode Ibadan) demonstrated that women are not mere domestic servants who should be suppressed, subjugated and thrown about. They too have a place in the society. In modern times, women are still performing such leadership roles and are depicted in such roles by writers, like Femi Osofisan, in their writings. In an interview session, Osofisan, a prolific, renowned and outstanding African writer, discusses his motives in creating the female chara...
Costume is not just about clothing the performer; it is the process of studying who and what the ... more Costume is not just about clothing the performer; it is the process of studying who and what the character in the scripts is. In character description costume plays an important role because, what the audience sees gives a more immediate impression of who the character is, than what he or she says; that is what they (the audience) hear from the characters speech. Consequently costume naturally gives a form of expression about an individual either of his or her social status, culture, religion, profession, sex, age and so on. It reflects in the daily life of the people because it is closely related with festivities, culture, pleasure, fashion and basic religious practices in Africa and the world over. This ability of dressing to make an impression about the wearer on an onlooker is even more profound in the theatre because once a character appears on stage the audience instantly begins to interpret that character by what they see on him. In this respect, costume performs a primary role in helping the audience understand the character as well as his cultural background. This study is centred on the African culture as reflected in some theatrical performances in Ghana and Nigeria; with focus on how costume help to express the culture and identity of the community and persons in these stage performances.
The girl child’s transition from childhood to adulthood, Dipo, is of prime importance in the deve... more The girl child’s transition from childhood to adulthood, Dipo, is of prime importance in the development of the Krobo community of Ghana. The transition acknowledges the part women play in the welfare of society; hence the performance of elaborate puberty rites for girls. The performance of Dipo puberty rites is therefore regarded as a means of unifying teenage women in their social role and integrating the arts of the Krobo people. Furthermore, it reveals the significance of these different art forms in the life of the Krobo people and in Dipo performance in particular. The problem, however, is that although there are several artistic elements embedded in the performance of Dipo, they have not been documented as art forms; nor have they constituteded a site for critical discussion and appraisal of Ghanaian performing arts. Early historical and anthropological scholarship on Dipo almost completely overlooks these artistic elements. This essay responds to this critical gap by situati...
Women in the African past, contrary to being domesticated were not only achievers in their own ri... more Women in the African past, contrary to being domesticated were not only achievers in their own right but also pillars of society. A voyage into African and especially Nigerian history gives a picture of outstanding women who contributed to trade and governance in their various communities and societies. Moremi in pre-colonial Ife kingdom, the Aba Women, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and the Egba Women during the colonial era not to mention other outstanding women in Yoruba and Hausa kingdoms such as Queen Amina, Madam Tinubu and Efunsetan Aniwura (Iyalode Ibadan) demonstrated that women are not mere domestic servants who should be suppressed, subjugated and thrown about. They too have a place in the society. In modern times, women are still performing such leadership roles and are depicted in such roles by writers, like Femi Osofisan, in their writings. In an interview session, Osofisan, a prolific, renowned and outstanding African writer, discusses his motives in creating the female chara...
Costume is not just about clothing the performer; it is the process of studying who and what the ... more Costume is not just about clothing the performer; it is the process of studying who and what the character in the scripts is. In character description costume plays an important role because, what the audience sees gives a more immediate impression of who the character is, than what he or she says; that is what they (the audience) hear from the characters speech. Consequently costume naturally gives a form of expression about an individual either of his or her social status, culture, religion, profession, sex, age and so on. It reflects in the daily life of the people because it is closely related with festivities, culture, pleasure, fashion and basic religious practices in Africa and the world over. This ability of dressing to make an impression about the wearer on an onlooker is even more profound in the theatre because once a character appears on stage the audience instantly begins to interpret that character by what they see on him. In this respect, costume performs a primary role in helping the audience understand the character as well as his cultural background. This study is centred on the African culture as reflected in some theatrical performances in Ghana and Nigeria; with focus on how costume help to express the culture and identity of the community and persons in these stage performances.
The girl child’s transition from childhood to adulthood, Dipo, is of prime importance in the deve... more The girl child’s transition from childhood to adulthood, Dipo, is of prime importance in the development of the Krobo community of Ghana. The transition acknowledges the part women play in the welfare of society; hence the performance of elaborate puberty rites for girls. The performance of Dipo puberty rites is therefore regarded as a means of unifying teenage women in their social role and integrating the arts of the Krobo people. Furthermore, it reveals the significance of these different art forms in the life of the Krobo people and in Dipo performance in particular. The problem, however, is that although there are several artistic elements embedded in the performance of Dipo, they have not been documented as art forms; nor have they constituteded a site for critical discussion and appraisal of Ghanaian performing arts. Early historical and anthropological scholarship on Dipo almost completely overlooks these artistic elements. This essay responds to this critical gap by situati...
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