BETRAYAL : A CONTEXTUAL ISSUE IN YORUBA MUSICAL INTERLUDES by Taiye Olaniyi
Amongst the Yorubas, “Betrayal”is regarded as very inimical, unethical, and antisocial in society.
Even from the metaphysical perspective, in Ifa divination, the betrayal meted by Okete was highly detested in the song: “Okete bayi ni iwa re, Okete ooo, bayi ni iwa re, o ba Ifa mu ile o da Ifa”.
Ifa and Okete once had a secret pact but to heart dismay, Okete reneged and thus betrayed.
Similarly, in another musical interlude, Ebenezer Obey reiterates Yoruba frowns against betrayal: ” Ma ma gbara le won Omo ara aye ko daa, eni ti ani ko fe ni loju, ata niyen fi senu Eni ani ko kin ni Leyin, egun lo-fi sowo”.
In whom we pitched confidence to help blow dust from one’s eyes ended blowing pepper into the eyes, and the one asked to massage, ended in scratching with thorns.
Even in one’s marital life, Yoruba sounds a note of warning that the idea a woman has children for one does not mean she wouldn’t snuff life out of one.
“Obinrin bi Omo fun ni ko ni ko ma pani”.
In religion when mouths are kept ajar because of betrayal, misbehavior, or acts of hypocrisy, then the impression,” Abori ma bo iwa,” “Efin ni iwa”, and then the conclusion, ” Orunmila, Orun lo mo eni ti yo la”.
Only in the afterlife that one would be truly judged as to who goes to heaven or hell fire.
When things go upside down,when the unbecoming becomes, when things no longer go according to dictates, rituals, customs, and norms associated with the Yoruba tradition, it then becomes obvious the glaring reality of betrayal and waywardness of those in charge of the traditional institution, the Obas and the Ijoyes of the Yoruba communities.
In Yorubaland of today, “Eye ko ke bi eye mo, be ni eku ko dun bi eku mo”. Many crowns are now like beggars’ bowls being pushed around like the Almajiris begging for money and food.
In politics, and amongst the Yorubas we replicate the onetime, ” Ori owo mi, o rinu mi , demo ni mo wa and allied, “Operation wetie”.
In Yorubaland of today, our politicians are much more of the “Jegudu jera”, than those of Awo’s time when the concern was more of building virile nationhood and a towering tribe of people in places where sanity, educational excellence, economic development, social infrastructure and cultural excellence of a sane people within virile sovereignty was envisaged.
Being a politician in Yorubaland today is synonymous with the fragrance of money at all costs be noble, but mostly through ignoble means.” kinsa ti lowo…”.
Money at all cost, posh vehicles, masterpiece mansions, extending frontiers of influence, and spheres of economic influence.
In all these are the betrayals of trust, the “Oaths of Allegiance” and meeting with the “Social Contract” with the people merely a ruse, and phantom lies everywhere.
Yorubas are now living in an era of “Bo ba ko pa, bo ba ko bu ni ese.”
Hmmm according to our beloved music maestro and doyen of creative drama, late Chief Hubert Ogunde in his ” Yoruba Ronu”, “Yoruba ti so ara won di bolu fun araye GBA, ti won ba GBA won soke won a tun GBA won si sale”.
A tribe once towering now an underdog in everything sane and developmental to even God’s glory.
Anyway, time is now to think and ever remain thinking noting that ” Olowo oni, le di Olosi bo di ola…” as J.F Odunjo posits and that when being praised today, tomorrow humans in their ever betrayal tendencies would say crucify him.
That is normal but let’s all equally incline to the admonition of Idowu Animashaun when he reminded us of the awesomeness of God that God may spill a storm to destroy a rich man’s house and leaves those of the poor untouched.”
Ojo to ro to wo ile olowo to fi ti talika sile, a bi e ko ri aye lode”.
He equally concluded in an appeal that Yorubaland must not be left to scatter and shatter, hoping the elders of our land would hearken and mend fences where there are pebbles of betrayal and, / or “Afi emi, AFI emi” syndromes here and there.
As your one and only Son of Man, Oosa Ibeji ponbele, I join Ata wewe Egungun masquerade who in song once called for the unity of Offa indigenes in the late 60s by advising in song:” Ti Ogun ba ja wa Aaya Omo Ale, ogun ko ja wa a ya Omo Offa”.
This goes for all and sundry in Yorubaland as we unite in building a virile nation Nigeria.
Oduduwa a gbe wa o.
God bless Nigeria.
*Taiye Olaniyi, a public commentator writes from Lagos*
(vitalnewsngr.com)
