Africa has been known to boast of a rich array of musical sounds. These sounds are mostly stemmed from cultural music which is as old as man itself.
Traditional music in Africa is passed down orally (or aurally) and is not written. In sub-Saharan African music traditions, it frequently relies on percussion instruments of every variety, including xylophones, djembes, drums, and tone-producing instruments such as the mbira or “thumb piano.”
The music and dance of the African diaspora, formed to varying degrees on African musical traditions, include American music and many Caribbean genres, such as soca, calypso (see kaiso), and zouk. Latin American music genres such as the rumba, conga, bomba, cumbia, salsa, and samba were founded on the music of enslaved Africans, and have in turn influenced African popular music
Most of these sounds have evolved into other better varieties such as the popular afro beats, bongo (high life) which comes with its own wide range of dance steps like the Zanku, Shoki to name a few.
One cannot mention the Bongo Music (High life) without acknowledging Owerri, the capital of Imo State, and the birthplace of the raw bongo sound.
Owerri, the capital city of Imo State, is located in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria. It is a central part of what makes what is referred to as “Igboland”. Owerri had a population of about 715,800 people in the year 2016, up from about 400, 000 as recorded in the 2006 census. Owerri sits on a landmass of about 100 square kilometers. On the east of Owerri is Otamiri River and to the south of Owerri is Nworie. As is common with the Igbos, Christianity is the major religion in the city, albeit there are also a good number of traditional worshipers.
In terms of Social life, Owerri has been termed the “Ebe mme mme” (Place of parties) of southeast Nigeria. The little city is home to a lot of hotels, social clubs, and popular eateries among which are the Ibari Ogwa, Hungry Man, and yours truly, The Mbari Kitchens.
Taking a walk into any of these social arenas would leave you with a nostalgic cultural feeling by the time you are hit with the succulent aroma of hot, steaming Isi Ewu or Ugba Agworagwu (Oil bean sauce), a nice gust of freshly tapped palm wine or beer (local or foreign) and then the highlight of the moment: Smooth Bongo sounds which interpret life in Igboland and help wash away all your troubles while reminding you of your cultural roots.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK