Ohogho Dance - Benin
by Gloria Ssali
Title
Ohogho Dance - Benin
Artist
Gloria Ssali
Medium
Drawing - Drawing
Description
Traditional dance to honour the king. North of Benin. Ambrose Ekhosuehi
Ohogho is a dance in a revolving circle. It is a religious dance. Its troupe belongs to certain physicians-ebo group of Benin culture. The groups are usually strong and healthy senior Eroghae and Ighele age groups.
The dancers wear waist gown-ebuluku and dance in circles with gongs or bells in their hands, and around a bowl alight with burning medicinal leaves and splinters of wood.
It is a protective dance to ward off evils as the smoke dispersed into the atmosphere, so also epidemics, wars and calamities disappeared, hence in a song “Agha yo Okuo a mai khon, Iyeke a ya rrie”. If one went to war and did not fight, the person retracks backwards.
Ohogho dance is considered as an art that forms a part of religious ceremonies. It is danced in a revolving circle and the dancers play clapperless bells — egogo or gongs with gong sticks.
Uploaded
October 1st, 2011
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