The Ogene

By: Gabe and Oliver, Joel, and Zack W.

A definition of the concept on p. 9:

1. The Ogene is a musical instrument which in this book is used to alert the members of the tribe about a certain event, it is like a gong. We see this in the book in chapter 2, page 9. The town crier is banging the ogene to alert the members of the tribe of a death that has occurred, and a town meeting with all the men has to be had. Amazingly, without any words, the men of the tribe were able to understand what the crier wanted to tell them just by the beats of the ogene. It was crucial in the tribe and a very useful tool to get the attention and relay the message to a large number of people.

This article talks about the history and development of Traditional African Music, and its importance to its culture. It is a crucial part of the Igbo peoples' culture, and is used as the “master instrument” in many bell orchestras. It is used for many events, including Enhance celebrations, such as during the New Year, weddings, birthday parties, childbirth and naming ceremonies, To bring about a historically sacred ambiance at church services, funerals, and eulogies, For pleasure, such as when lullabies are sung by parents to their children, For sports and labor, To guide historians as they recant stories. It has been a main part of these peoples culture and without it they would not be the same.

A video of the ogene at work: