Gbedu literally means "big drum" and is a percussion instrument traditionally used in ceremonial Yoruba music in Nigeria and
Benin . More recently, the word has come to be used to describe forms of Nigerian
Afro-beat and Hip Hop music.
TRADITION
The Gbedu drum is traditionally used on state occasions or during ceremonies of
Ogboni, the ancient Yoruba secret society. The Ogido/Gbedu is one of the four major families of Yoruba drums; the other families are the Dundun/Gangan or talking drum. The
Batá drum and the Sakara drum, each family includes drums of different sizes, with the mother drum (iya ilu) playing the lead role and other drums playing in support. The Gbedu backing drums are each played by a drummer using both his open palm and a stick.
The Gbedu drum is said to have been brought to the Lagos area in the seventeenth century by Edo diplomats, symbolizing the hegemony of the Benin Empire . Among the Yoruba, the Gbedu drum signifies royalty. The largest of the Yoruba drums, it was played only in the king's service. In ceremonies such the rite of Isagun, the Oba might dance to the music of the drum. If anyone else used the drum they were arrested for sedition.
In early times it was considered that the large and ornately carved drum had a protecting spirit, that of the slave who was sacrificed when it was made. The drum is covered in carvings representing animals, birds and the phallus. When sacrifices were made at ceremonies where the drum was used, some of the blood was sprinkled on the carvings, along with palm wine, egg yolks and the feathers of sacrificed chickens. The carved face of the iya ilu might include an image of Olokun, goddess of the sea, considered the "face of worship".
It is recorded that during the last days of the Oyo Empire, when the Fulani had captured Ilorin and become masters of Oyo, Sita king of Ilorin required the Oyo king
Oluewu to visit him and pay homage. Oluewu had the Gbedu drum beaten before him as he travelled. When Sita asked about the drum and was told it was played only in the presence of a king, he became angry, saying that there could only be one king, himself, and ordered the Gbedu drum to be taken away.
An old Yoruba proverb says "unless the he-goat dies, no one can make a gbedu drum from its skin". The implication is that a person will be able to look out for their own interests while they are alive. Another proverb says "the hide of a pig cannot be used to make a gbedu drum", meaning that a given material cannot be used for all purposes. "No thief steals a gbedu drum" is a warning not to attempt the impossible.
Modern Usage
In modern Nigeria, the Gbedu and its relatives continue to be used, but the word has taken new meanings. Fela Kuti included the traditional Gbedu drum in his ensemble, with a percussionist pounding out a thunderous rhythm from an eight-foot drum lying on its side. Afrobeat ensembles often include the Akuba , a set of three small Yoruba congas played with sticks that are related to the Gbedu. Afrobeat musician Kola Ogunkoya uses the term "Afro Gbedu" to describe his style of music, which includes jazz, highlife, Jùjú , funk and traditional Yoruba music. Dele Sosimi, who played with Fela Kuti in the 1980s, later formed an Afrobeat group named "Gbedu Resurrection". The word Gbedu has more recently been used to describe Nigerian Hip Hop music.
For many young people, the word now simply means "party".
THE OLU FAMILY OF WARRI.
According to Bini and Itsekiri histories Ginuwa, a prince of Benin founded the Iwerre (Warri) Kingdom about 1480. In the 15th century Warri was visited by Portuguese missionaries. At the beginning of the 17th century, a son of the reigning Olu was sent to Portugal and returned with a Portuguese wife. Their son Antonio Domingo was Olu of Warri in the
1640s. Olu Erejuwa, who reigned from about 1720 to 1800, expanded Warri politically and commercially, using the Portuguese to further Warri's independence of Benin and to establish control over a wider area.
Later Warri served as the base for Portuguese and Dutch slave traders . Warri became a more important port city during the late 19th century, when it became a centre for the palm oil trade and other major items such as rubber , palm products, cocoa , groundnuts , hides, and skins. Warri was established as a provincial headquarters by the British in the early 20th century.
Recent Events
In 1997, the Federal Government under General Sani Abacha created a Warri South-West Local Government Council, with headquarters at Ogbe-ijaw, an Ijaw settlement near Warri. Due to political pressure by the Itsekiri's, the headquarters was then relocated to Ogidigben, an Itsekiri settlement. Riots ensued, hundreds died, and six Shell Nigeria installations were taken over by youths. The crisis is known as the
"Warri Crisis"
Itsekiri Kings, 1480 To Present
The Kingdom of Warri has remained predominantly Christian since the coronation of its first Christian King Oba Atorongboye also known as King Sebastian in 1570, within a century of the foundation of the Iwerre Kingdom. Below is a list of the rulers of the Warri Kingdom from inception. Note that written records began with the coronation of Olu Atorongboye Sebastian I in 1570.
Ginuwa I (1480- 16th century)
Ogbowuru I (16th century)
Irame I (16th century)
Ojoluwa I (16th century)
Esigie I (16th century)
Atorongboye I A.K.A. Sebastian (1570- 1620 AD
Atuwatse I A.K.A Oyeomasan Don Domingos (1625–1643)
Oyenakpara I A.K.A Obanighenren Don Antonio Domingo (1643–1653)
Omoluyere I (17th century)
Abejoye I A.K.A Matias (17th century)
Akenjoye I A.K.A Ludivico Domingo (1675–1709)
Omagboye I (18th century)
Akengboye I A.K.A Agostinho Sabastiao Octobia (1730–1732)
Atogbuwa I A.K.A Manuel Octobia (1734–1760)
Erejuwa I A.K.A Sebastiao Manuel Octobia (1760–1795)
Akengbuwa I A.K.A Eyeolusan Joao (1808– 14 June 1848)
Ginuwa II A.K.A Emiko Ikengbuwa (7 February 1936– 8 January 1949)
Erejuwa II A.K.A Wilson Ayoronmitsi Gbesimi Emiko (24 March 1951 – 17 December 1986)
Atuwatse II A.K.A Godwin Toritseju Emiko (2 May 1987– 5 September 2015)
Ikenwoli I A. K. A Godfery ikenwoli Emiko (12 December 2015–)
Iye Idolorusan ruled the kingdom for a time in the nineteenth century, but seems never to have been formally designated a
monarch.
(This article was gotten from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gbedu)
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