By Waliu Adeyeri

The oro song of the Ikorodu people has played a significant role in the city’s entertainment scene since time immemorial. Beyond its traditional functions, it serves as a medium for commentary on social issues, showcasing the community’s rich cultural and historical heritage.

The unique and rhythmic tune of Ere Oro is typically accompanied by the apepe beat, a handmade instrument crafted from bamboo stem. The song is skillfully composed and sung in the Ijebu dialect. Historically, Pa Osode was the first to sing Ere Oro, which was later taken over by Pa Sadiku Agbaku. He divided the song into Magbo, Gangan, and Elesa parts.

Although the early composers and singers of the Oro songs had little to no formal education, they displayed high social responsibility to their community through their talents as they willed songs of praises for persons of noble character and lashed out at persons of questionable character irrespective of their social class. This affirms the saying that “b’eyan o ka iwe, a ka ogbon Ori” – lack of formal education doesn’t imply lack of knowledge/wisdom.

In Ikorodu, there are two main divisions of oro singers: Osere Oloro Isele and Osere Oloro Magbo/Ijomu. These groups have evolved from the major quarters celebrating the two Oro festivals, Magbo and Liwe. While this has led to increased competitiveness and modernisation, it has also introduced diss tracks and confrontations.

Ere oro has served as a counter-propaganda for the people of Ikorodu since time immemorial, with lyrics and rhythm carefully waxed together to challenge government propaganda and influence audience perspectives towards the subject of the music. Usually the Eve of the Oro festivals is characterised by live performances with crowds trooping out to listen to the next person the osere would ridicule or diss; that automatically becomes the anthem for the rest of the year as they keep making references to the lines. In one of Adekunle Bombata’s songs, he once chastised a monarch for engaging in drug dealing in the late 90s. A part of the song reads:

Leesi gbe cocaine losi ilu Oba – Who smuggled cocaine overseas?
Won mu Oba mole, won ti lekun – The king was arrested and locked up.
Opelope Benson re je ki Oba wale – All thanks to Benson, who secured the release of the king.

While the osere feeds his audience with satirical comments against a government, policy, or an individual, he would also serve pleasing commentary about persons in the community who have either bankrolled him or impacted the community at large. This becomes a source of motivation to everyone.

Also, Osere Oloro may choose to comment on a recent happening in the town. An example is the song composed by an Osere Oloro to comment on the inferno that burnt the palace of the late Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi, the former Ayangbure of Ikorodu: “ijo won koba jo mole, iji won koleri ma yee ooo …” – Their wish was for the king to be burnt in the building; their wish was for the queen not to come out alive.

We can go on and on talking about the rich cultural significance of this genre of music, but it is pertinent to touch on the impact of modernisation on the production of orin oro in Ikorodu. Singers have today switched their means of recording to digital; however, they are maintaining the pleasing sound of the Apepe as their instrumentals.

Waliu Adeyeri is an MSc Student of Media and Communication Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo.