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expresses what a child is or what he or she is hoped to become. If one is male, a praise name is usually expressive of something heroic, brave or strong. If one is female, the praise name may be a term of endearment. In either case, the
Reverend Johnson said that it was intended to have a stimulating
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Praising gods and mortals has traditionally been the focus for singers and the most engaging for audiences, whether the tone is persuasive or controversial. Nigerian politicians often hire well-known singers to elaborate on their heritage. Today, Nigerian
Christians and Muslims use oriki to praise
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The oríkì varies in length depending on whether it is the name given to a child to describe the future portents of the life or a recital of the accomplishments of a person's clan. It is invoked to praise a child for bringing pride to the parents or to attempt to evoke virtuous character traits of
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Because of the variety of performance modes, oríkì defies classification as music or poetry, and it has been studied from both perspectives. Historically, oríkì was delivered by a specialist in a particular vocal style. For example, ìjálá is acoustically open and intense, while ewì is spoken in a
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It is not always clear what was pre-eminent in the mind of the person who named a child with the shorter praise name. Predetermined names based on the circumstances of birth are called Oríkì ṣókí, such as the names for twins: Táiyé and Kẹ́hìndé. Traditionally, a boy born with the
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high-falsetto, wailing voice quality. According to
Waterman, “The words that placate gods and drive kings to suicide made more potent by the patterning of timbre, texture, pitch, and rhythm.” According to Vidal, Yorùbás have oríkì for “almost everything . . . even food”.
484:
Barber, Karin; Waterman, Christopher (1995). "Traversing the Global and the Local: Fuji Music and Praise Poetry in the
Production of Contemporary Yoruba Popular Culture". In Daniel Miller (ed.).
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names a boy or girl Àìná), but the name Òjó has praise poetry that does not even mention that but implies that the child would be the darling of ladies and might be a little impatient.
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from a strong, accomplished patriarch or matriarch, and it is common to find the latter's accomplishments recited in the longer version of the oríkì of all
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Eso of Ikoyi, the One who waits to fight, who finishes off the war with the care of one rubbing paint on a paved wall.
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sing for the
Abrahamic god. They may pray for salvation if they hear the praise of indigenous Yorùbá gods such as
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Another particularly fine example of an excerpt from a family's oriki is that of the
Supreme Court justice
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Examples of oríkì names and their meanings (F or M indicates whether the name is usually female or male):
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This excerpt highlights
Justice Eso's descent from the famous Eso Ikoyi warriors of the medieval period.
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When Ojo is not home, the chick grows to become a hen, if he was at home, he would have made soup of it.
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of “attributive epithets” that may be chanted in poetic form. According to the Yoruba historian
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The
History of the Yorubas: From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate
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bravery, fortitude and perseverance that are believed to be innate in a person by pedigree.
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because many of them believe that traditional Yorùbá deities are demonic.
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117:Àlàké (F) - to take care of her as a result of victory over circumstance
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Juju: A Social
History and Ethnography of an African Popular Music
126:Àbèní (F) - begged for (from God or, more traditionally, the gods)
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141:Àjàní (M) - fought to have this child, valuable and cherished son
138:Àbèbí (F) - begged for to be birthed (probably a difficult birth)
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around his neck is called Òjó (there are exceptions; the Ijebu
132:Àdùké (F) - people will fight over the privilege to spoil her
197:. An excerpt from praise poetry for the name Òjó would be:
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Vidal, Tunji’ (1969). "Oriki in
Traditional Yoruba Music".
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sfn error: no target: CITEREFAjayiAkinseye-George2002 (
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Atunke (F) - One who would continually be taken care of
123:Àsàké (F) - selected to be spoiled (with good things)
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Eso Ikoyi, Eso Aduroja, Apara Ogun bi eni pa'le....
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381:sfn error: no target: CITEREFCarter-Enyi2018 (
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466:Ajayi, JF Ade; Akinseye-George, Yemi (1962).
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400:sfn error: no target: CITEREFCarterenyi2018 (
144:Àkànní (M) - met only once to have this child
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114:Àjoké (F) - meant to be taken care of by all
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362:sfn error: no target: CITEREFOlatunji1962 (
16:Type of praise poetry in the Yoruba culture
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150:Àkànde Àgàn (M) - favourite of the prince
506:. Ìbàdàn, Nigeria: University Press PLC.
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319:sfn error: no target: CITEREFVidal2012 (
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168:Ariyo (M) - One that brings joy on sight
129:Àríké (F) - meant to be spoiled on sight
120:Ànìké (F) - had (birthed) to be pampered
544:. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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147:Àjàgbé (M) - fought to carry this child
556:Isiri: Inspiration in Yoruba Language
497:. London: Cambridge University Press.
488:. London: Routledge. pp. 240–62.
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162:Amoke (F) - Known about and cared for
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477:The Content and Form of Yoruba Ijala
203:t'o ba wa nle, a ti pa Iya e je....
156:Àpèkẹ́ (F) - Called to be cared for
135:Àdùbi (M/F) - competed over to have
470:. Ìbàdàn, Nigeria: Spectrum Books.
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540:Waterman, Christopher A. (1990).
468:Kayode Eso: The making of a Judge
434:Ajayi & Akinseye-George 2002
241:, a similar concept amongst the
174:Àtànda (M) - lured to be created
171:Àshàbi (F) - selected to be born
461:. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
165:Ajadi (M) - the end of conflict
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504:Features of Yorùbá Oral Poetry
502:Olatunji, Olatunde O. (1984).
201:Ojo o si nle, omo adie d'agba
189:Usually, a family derives its
177:Ayoka (F) - One who causes joy
159:Adunni (F) - One sweet to have
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1:
475:Babalola, S. Adeboye (1966).
153:Àdìgún (M) - the perfect one
486:Dictionary of Modern Yoruba
459:Dictionary of Modern Yoruba
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479:. London: Clarendon Press.
279:Barber & Waterman 1995
493:Johnson, Samuel (1921).
457:Abraham, R. C. (1962).
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52:Oríkì includes both
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315:Vidal 2012
214:Kayode Eso
106:Short form
87:subculture
34:phenomenon
185:Long form
239:Isibongo
233:See also
101:Examples
36:amongst
31:cultural
566:Last.fm
533:3334460
195:progeny
191:surname
29:, is a
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38:Yoruba
27:poetry
24:praise
562:Oríkì
529:JSTOR
254:Notes
243:Bantu
66:oriki
22:, or
20:Oríkì
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95:Ògún
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