Music of Mboi

The roles of music, music, dance or other dramatic or art forms play in your culture

There are several music and dances among Mboi people which signify different facets of events in the culture, and they do not go in isolation. The various music are attached with festivals that are made for them. One cannot explain any type of music without making the reference with the festive. The music is regarded as an entertainment, expressing excitement, mourning, organizing, and thanksgiving as well. These are blato, zugo, tawo, isho, co-wotta and etc. Below is the breakdown of the festivities and music types in Mboi tradition.

1. Bəlato: this is music and at the same time refers to a festival that has special music and dance. One cannot make mention of the music as separate and ignore the issue of the festival. This is observed two times in diverse stages. It is a time of a maturity of female lads that are betrothed and are seen as spinsters, the organized festival has to do with tattooing them as body marks that qualify them to be given into marriage. The Bəlato is taking place around the month of May, it is observed after two-two years called Gafata. After Gafata year then the following year would be the year of both male and female Zugo and Bəlato to be observed. In this year Mboi people refer it as Wandikra. Every lady has to undergo two stages of Bəlato otherwise she would not be married.
2. Zugo: this music on the other hand is another type of which it is attached to festival of the male (Bachelors) that are ready for marriage. This is a time of circumcision to mark the readiness for marriage which gears to wedding. Males around 18-20 years above are taken to a very high mountain far away from a community. They would be beaten with canes by the elderly people in charge of the discipline of making them worth of marriage; all of them would be left there for a month. The time for the stay is refers to as Abaɓe around the month of March. The males are said to be immune well enough for sustaining every pain attached to the beating so that none of them would cry and lead to a disgrace. After this installation, the males would be regarded as Ɓuhã. Any moment from there, the elders would be addressing the installed male youths as Ngu-fun, i-nge egune meaning “you have eaten, so you are a matured man”.  This is a sign of warning to him that; care should to be taken in every decision-making.
3. Wandikra:  there is a year that comprises of both male female (Zugo and Bəlato) festivals to be observed together. In this year Mboi people refer it as Wandikra. It is always an immediate year after after Gafata.
4. Tawo: It is a type of music festivals that has a quiet different music and dance from other festivals. It is played and practiced normally immediately a month after the festive of Zugo. Tawo is a type of music entertainment that serves as a closing remark of Zugo festive so as to give chance for Bəlato. Once Tawo is arranged in the year, every native of Mboi has in mind that ‘no more Zugo music and festive in the whole land and everywhere occupied by the Language Group until in the next two years.
5.  Isho: It is normally played and observed around the month of September to October. The main purpose of this music and festive is to celebrate the harvest season. Before this event, to the paramount Rulers and palace chiefs including everyone involving in deciding the velavelto (Chieftaincy decision-makers) are not allowed to feed on sorghums until two days before the festive and the days after.

Co-wotta: It is observed around March to April. The reason for this festive and music in respect of the dead old men and women who have reached the age of 70 to above years before they died. The typical Mboi speaker believed that the souls of the deceased are always hanging and roaming around a restricted and temporary resting place. The dead is to be remaining there and be given food in his house where the living are (the dead person’s people would be keeping food for him/her in his living house he/she would be coming to eat from time-to-time until Co-wora (singular) is observed. After the event in his/her respect then he/she would be transmitted to the Ancestral final destiny for a permanent enjoyment and no more food would be served to him/her.  This consists of music and dances that lasts for two days

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