JOHN FUNMI RAPHEAL

Music

At the Music department office

Appointment on Visitation important

Topic: African Music

Description: Publications in journal articles i 2022 and ii 2021 offer new insights into the analytical study of the style, form, structure, compositional strategies, instrumentation and indigenous musical resources inherent in African Music in general and Badagry Ogu Traditional Music specifically. It presents a staff notation transcription for archiving, documentation and educational purposes.

#	Certificate	School	Year
1.	M.A. (Ethnomusicology)	Department of Theatre Arts & Music, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, Ojo	2021

SOUNDS OF IDENTITY: MASE MUSIC AND THE REINFORCEMENT OF OGU-BADAGRY IDENTITY IN SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES

This study explores the role of Mase music in reinforcing cultural identity and social cohesion among the Ogu-Badagry people in Nigeria. As a Nigerian ethnic group, Ogu people primarily reside in Badagry, Lagos State and parts of Ogun State. They maintain a distinct musical tradition that bridges geographic and cultural boundaries. Central to this tradition is Mase music, a popular, functional, socio-cultural and secular genre of Ogu music.

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, oral interviews, musical performance and textual analysis, this study explores how Mase music is deployed in social and religious ceremonies such as festivals, funerals, and religious contexts. The study examined how music functions not merely as entertainment, but as an instrument of communal identity, historical and cultural repository.

This paper situates Mase music within the broader contexts of trans-border cultural preservation and argues that Mase is more than a musical form. It is a living tradition that mediates historical memory and communal values.

Findings from this study will inform policies and programs related to intangible cultural heritage preservation in Nigeria. The paper ultimately positions Mase music as a dynamic force of belonging, resistance, and remembrance within the Ogu-Badagry community in Nigeria. This study also holds practical significance for cultural policy and heritage preservation in marginalized communities. It positions Mase music as a vital symbol of identity and resistance within the dynamic cultural landscape of the Ogu-Badagry people in Nigeria.

JOHN RAPHEAL is a Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Music

JOHN has a M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Department of Theatre Arts & Music, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, Ojo