ChinenyeN:

Mbu is "history" in Arochukwu?

Not exactly. "History" is èyè. Mbu means "before/past". The "history" in my translation is more akin to "bygone" and is not the same type of history as èyè.

I vòò ivò I vòò

Trans: After telling a fairy tale, tell another.

Mbu mbú bu mbú.

Trans: Which means that bygone is bygone.

What a spine-chilling video. The horrors which human beings are capable of unleashing upon each other are unimaginable. The closing song is truly heart-touching.

In 1967 Nigerian soldiers occupied Asaba, an Igbo town on the west bank of the Niger, and massacred thousands of innocent Nigerian civilians. The massacre at Asaba is one of the greatest tragedies of the war and deserves proper exposure.

Please watch the video link below:
http://vimeo.com/71894404

Very interesting. Nwoke m, I meela.

Spirit of Naruto.

Opinion_Leader:

(1) Let me start with your last statement. I do not have anything troubling me brother; needless to add that I do not hate Aro people. I am only trying to educate some you new generation Aro, who probably do not know the other side of your history.

Aro people are wonderful people, I must confess. Yet you very are crafty (cunning) in nature and your superiority claim over other Igbo people is quite disturbing. You tend to forget that in most Igbo villages, you are regarded next in line to Ohu and Osu. #Fact! Little wonder in some Igbo communities, marrying an Aro person is considered ...

(2) Forget what your forefathers may have told you. In prehistoric Igbo, Aro people were known and addressed as Aro Oje-Ozi. This came about as they were believed to be "messengers of the gods" (presumably Chukwu Abiama, a 'powerful' juju in Aro land as at then. Wherever a need arose for sacrifices to be made in an Igbo village, an Aro man would be sought to go and discard the sacrifice (i.e what Igbo call "Ibupu aja). Their functions were similar to those of Biblical Levites. It is worthy of mention that Nri people were known to perform rituals and carry out spiritual activities similar to Aaron and his children.(By the way, I am not from Nri but a thoroughbred Igbo man who says it the way it is).

(3) Agreed Ikpirikpe Ogu (War Dance) you talked about was by men. Remember, it is and still remains WAR DANCE and of course men go to war but the song under review doesn't in any way sound like it. The instrumentation and rhythm of this particular one and the war dance are clearly different.

(4) One thing that interest me in your write up is that you made reference to Ibibio. I love that! It clearly shows that most of you haven't forgotten that you are a product of mix blood of Igbo and Ibibio/Efik/etc. You therefore cannot lay claim to being Igbo than most of us from the heartland of Igbo land. Your Igbo dialect bears testimony to what I am saying.

(5) I know what Aro dialect sounds like. I have Aro friends both male and female till date. In fact, I dated three different Ago babes as a bachelor. One hails from Atani Mmawuru. Another from Aro (village) in Okigwe and another from Aro Ndi-Izuogu. Eventually, my people kicked against them all simply because they are Aro!

(6) I take it that you cannot interpret the lyrics of the song if all you could hear was Okereke. Let me help you. The song is a dirge (egwu akwa), mourning a certain woman. I would have given you the interpretation now, but I'm already running out of time right now. By the way, Okereke is a popular name in Imo and Abia states. It is erroneous to adjudge it an Aro name. In Owerri and Ngor Okpala, it is usually shortened to Okere. (E.g. Steph-Nora Okere and Stephenie Okereke are not from Aro).

(7) On the Umuchukwu stuff, there was never a place in the lyrics where the people referred to themselves as Umuchukwu. I really don't know how that came about. By the way, you have not visited all communities in Igbo land to know that Umuchukwu does not exist elsewhere. Can you also confirm if there is any particular village in Arochukwu called Umuchukwu.

On a final note, I urge you to desist from insults; refute the facts before you instead.

Igbo kwenu!!

(1) Do you actually expect me to recieve your argument in good light when you speak so condescendingly and disrespectfully even to the extent of referring to me as a member of this "new Aro generation" which so badly needs your "education"? The fact that you don't even know my age magnifies this insult.

(2) You are also forgetting that these same "Aro Oje-Ozi" were agents of Ibini Ukpabi who settled in foreign communities and served as representatives and spies of the oracle. Their presence helped in the diffusion of Aro institutions like Ekpe (known as Okonko outside Arochukwu), which helped create the peace and stability that fostered economic growth and development. In their foreign host communities, the Aro were immune to physical attack and thus able to trade and establish their markets freely. Since the presence of Aro traders meant growth in economic activity and protection by Abam warriors, communities welcomed them and offered them land upon which to settle and establish markets and commercial centers. The monopoly and influence that the Aro cunningly developed and acquired eventually led to the birth of the term "Aro Okigbo".

(3) I didn't say that that was the Ikperikpe Ogu. You said that Arochukwu was not known for having male choral groups and I simply mentioned the Ikperikpe Ogu (which afterall is a practice that requires a highly-developed tradition of male choral singing) to refute that claim.

(4) We Aro possess elements of Ibibio and Efik in our culture. Ngen me kwan? And so what? I was not claiming to that we are "more Igbo" than anyone. We view ourselves as an Igbo people and have absolutely no reason to consider ourselves "less Igbo" than anyone from Agukwu Nri or Amaigbo. In the same way, we are proud of our identity, our language, and our impact on Igbo history, thus we are called "Aro Okigbo". What this particular segment boils down to is that you are using your "heartland communities" as a yardstick for being Igbo, and as we have seen on several threads on Nairaland, that simply won't do.

My dialect is my dialect. It's only natural that the farther away you move from your community, the less intelligible speech becomes.

(5)That's a pity. The original Aro dialect is only spoken at Arochukwu; meaning of those girls you listed, the one from Atani is the only one with whom I share dialect.

(6) I did not say all I heard was Okereke. I simply said that I could only pick up a few things since they were not singing clearly enough for me to identify the song. You clearly misunderstood what I wrote. I did not say that Okereke was an Aro name. I simply said that since they mentioned Okereke, that automaticlally means that they can't be from anywhere in present-day Anambra or Enugu (since you said that it could be from Onicha or Ikwere). Ikwere is also disqualified since they answer Okoko and not Okereke.

I am well aware that Urata answers Okere (just like Chimuanya Okere).

(7) This Umuchukwu thing should not even be debated - atleast not with me, that is. The original anthropologists who recorded this said these people called themselves "Umuchukwu". The Aro are the only people in pre-colonial Igboland who refer to themselves as Umu Chukwu; meaning children of the famed Chukwu, who is said to reside within Ibini Ukpabi. If you have any objections to make as to the location of this recording, take that up with the anthropologists who labelled it as such.

No one made any insults. Rather, before you attempt to "educate the new Aro generation", make sure you clearly read what that member of "the new Aro generation" wote.

Ndeewo.

Opinion_Leader:

Odumchi at it again!

I would like to remind ALL Aro protagonists that life in Igboland does not start and end in Arochukwu. Your obsession with Aro which tends to make you to appropriate anything good in Igbo land to Aro is really irritating. Do I need to remind you that Arochukwu is NOT synonymous with Igbo! Suddenly, Aro Oje-ozi (Aro, the messenger) of old has metamorphosed to Aro Okigbo! Do I also need to remind you that Aro people do not possess 100% Igbo DNA?

All I have expected was for one of you to tell us the lyrics of the song rather than make another claim for Arochukwu. lol! I bet you that the Igbo dialect spoken in that song is nowhere near Aro. Why do I think so:

(1) The lyrics are clear Igbo words of which I can conveniently explain 50% of what it is saying. I am from Imo State by the way and neither understand nor speak Aro dialect. I challenge any Aro person here to prove me wrong by translating the lyrics.

(2) I should also think that the white-man that recorded the song would have found it more convenient to visit a village/locality nearer to major trade centres in Igboland like Port Harcourt, Onitsha, etc. Besides, considering the road networks in Igbo land in 1911, accessing Arochukwu would have been a Herculean task.

(3) I stand to be corrected, but when villages/localities that are known for male choral groups are mentioned in Igboland, Arochukwu may not be on the list. Up till date, communities in Mbaise, Ngwa, Owerri, Asaba, Etche, Ikwerre, Ugwuta etc have sustained the trend over the years. Is it not possible that it could have been from one of them?

Ndi Arochukwu, abeg make una free us!

Biateeri, nwonye ke, I kpuru ìsì? Could you not clearly see that the recording was labelled "Umuchukwu"? How many "Umuchukwus" do we have in Igboland? What other people refer to themselves as "Umuchukwu" if not the Aro?

You don't know what Aro dialect sounds like yet you claim that it's not Aro? Tell me your town/local government and I will tell you if your dialect is similar to ours.

(1) I don't understand everything he's saying mainly because the audio isn't clear. However, I can pick up words like "Okigbo muru m", which means "Aro which gave me birth", and "Okereke" and "Eze Nwanyi". The word "Okereke" automatically knocks out Onicha and anywhere else in present-day Anambra or Enugu because they don't answer "Okereke".

(2) The white men who recorded this were anthropologists and not traders, so why should they seek commercial centers? Port Harcourt was not a major commercial center at that time and Onicha was busy being Christianized by missionaries who would've frowned at the "pagan music" which these men were enjoying.

Even at that, Arochukwu did sit on a centuries-old trade route which connected it to Bende (the largest market-town in Igboland prior to the coming of the white men), Calabar, Afikpo, Ngwa, and Uzuakoli. Therefore, accessing Arochukwu would not have been a "Herculean task" since all they needed to have done was follow the same old indigenous footpaths or follow the same trail which the British Niger Company had used in its sacking of Arochukwu nine years earlier.

Besides, at that time Arochukwu was being visited by missionaries (like Mary Slasor) who came to Christianize the newly-conquered people.

(3) You aren't correct. It seems that you are forgetting that Arochukwu possesses the Ekpe, Akang and Ekpo fraternities and thus, like all Ekpe, Akang and Ekpo practicing-communities, has a strong musical background and is well-versed in Igbo and Ibibio folk music. Since these institutions are male-run, male choir groups are responsible for the vocals, the drumming, and any other sounds which are produced at their masquerade displays or events in general. Also, Arochukwu is home to a wide variety of music genres ranging from Ugbo Ali to Itembe and Odumodu (midnight singing).

Furthermore, most of the communities in the Bende region of Abia practice the "Ikpirikpe ogu" (war dance), which has become an international Igbo icon. Tell me: are men not responsible for the singing and instrumentals?

Inyi vula nu ya ugbua? Nde si guma n'o bu nde Aro ji wo amaghi ihe n'awa wo. O bu wo ugha.

My guy, go and look for what's troubling you. It's certainly not Aro. By the way, who are "Aro Oje Ozi" or is that a joke?

*Kails*:
odumchi,
do you have any other recordings?

Unfortunately, no, I don't. I found these all online though. I'm sure there are many more that are free.

DEGREE2466:

i hear you
onwunwa is temptation
RISKY is ......:..........:.........?

Depending on usage, 'onwunwa' can mean temptation, trying one's luck, or taking chances (risk).

Kedu ego m?

Policewoman: pls can someone help? I cant see any voice to download.

Arochukwu men:
https://soundcloud.com/pittriversound-1/1914-80-150

Awka girls:
https://soundcloud.com/pittriversound-1/1914-80-125

Bini:
https://soundcloud.com/pittriversound-1/1914-80-34

DEGREE2466: And you expect us to live in the past?

If you think you know IGBO language translate this sentence to IGBO: "IT IS VERY RISKY" 50000 US Dollars

Ezi onwunwa di ya.

Smartie gurl: 1911 you say? I thought there was nothing like recording devices and stuffs like that then? How come that was recorded?

Phonograph - invented in 1877.

*Kails*:


and what does kwenu mean?

"Kwenu" in the context of "Igbo kwenu" means "respond"; "cheer"; "allegiance"; "solidarity"; "unity".

Saying "Igbo kwenu" at a social gathering means to affirm the oneness and unity of the peoples present. The response is "ya".

Femijay: That picture and the recording is a fake, taking into consideration the way the people are dressed.The shirts in the picture are 1950/1960 styles.

Those pictures have nothing to do with the recordings.

Built2last: How do we substantiate that this was not recorded with your house boys phone? Anybody can record this and upload.

It was recorded via phonograph by Europeans doing anthropological work in those areas. Why must people like you always complain? Can't you just relax and enjoy?

The first Igbo one is from Arochukwu while the second one is from Oka. Both sent chills down my spine. Imagine how we, over a century later, are able to still listen to the voices of people long dead. Bekee bu agbara n'ezi.

I just listened to this and it sent chills down my spine. This is what the our languages sounded like before their corruption and bastardization by English.

Please scroll down.

http://ukpuru.tumblr.com/

Odenigbo Aroli: In my Idenmili area we say "nghalipu" for disappoint. Aghalipuna m'.....Don't disappoint me.

Oh ok. Have you have heard of 'iko okpo' before?

How do you say "disappoint" in Igbo?

In the Ogidi dialect [of Idemili], they say (iko okpo), which based on the way I've seen it used in music, looks like it can translate to "to disappoint". But I'm interested in seeing other dialects and of course Izugbe.

Stranglehold: Unblock post please.
https://www.nairaland.com/1291722/did-west-africans-reach-new/2

Done.