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ALAGA IDURO AND ALAGA IJOKOO NUPTIAL PERFORMANCES: 

THE MUSIC, THE DRAMA  

 

Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 

Abstract 

he Alága ìdúróand the Alága ìjókòó are two important people 

that conduct contemporary Yorùbá traditional wedding 

ceremonies, known as engagement.They are indispensible 

personalities in Yoruba traditional marriage ceremonies; they 

coordinate the proceedings of engagement ceremonies. Music, dance 

and dramatic displays are prominent features in their performances. 

They display various body messages and sing various songs to 

communicate and also mark the different stages of traditional 

engagements.  The article discusses music and dramatic displays in 

alaga iduro and alaga ijokooYoruba traditional marriage ceremonies. It 

examines their various dramatic displays at different stages of 

engagement ceremonies, their roles in educating couples about 

rightful behavioural traits in marriage.  

 

Introduction 

Alaga (Iduro and Ijokoo) are masters of Yoruba traditional marriage 

ceremonies.They are important personalities in that conduct Yoruba 

traditional marriage ceremonies. The alaga ijokoo is the marriage 

coordinator that represents the bride‟s family, while the alaga ijokoo 

represents the groom‟s family.The alaga iduro leads the groom‟s family 

members to the venue of the engagement ceremony. The AlagaIduro 

and AlagaIjokoo engage in musical and dramatic displays to entertain, 

educate and conduct Yoruba traditional marriage proceedings. Oladipo 

(2015:239) reveals that the Alágas are necessary human resources 

that add fun to Yorùbá wedding ceremonies; although their "dramas 

are unscripted," they engage music, dance and drama aimed at 

T 

 Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA) Vol. 13 2019 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

49 

marriage negotiations quite effectively.  Dance, music and drama are 

closely related. Music, like language, has the potential to communicate, 

although not as direct as spoken words. Music and dance may bring 

about dramatic expressionto reveal episodes with various storylines 

and may be included in performances (Nketia 1982:218). Drama is a 

means of expressing creativity, providing entertainment, education 

and communication (Ezeajugh and Ibeli, 2012:318). 

 

Music making may be combined with dramatic performance or set of 

symbolic action done with or without costumes; these are performed 

where the audience is present to watch them perform. Music during 

events like these is used to communicate or reveal dramatic actions. 

Musical performances in the African society provide an opportunity 

for partaking in community life and as a means of communication 

(Nketia, 1982:22-29). Nketia noted that:  

Music may be integrated with events, either to set the 
mood for the actions or to provide an outlet for 
expressing the feelings they generate. It may also be 
used to continue or heighten the dramatic action; hence, 
it may punctuate statements of prayer, or provide a 
continuous background of ordered sound. (Nketia, 
1982:189).  

    

Creative Application of Music and Drama as Instruments of 

Performance by Alaga 
Creativity in any work of art is dependent on imagination, originality 

and exposure. Dramatic creativity in the performances depends on the 

ability of an Alága during engagement ceremony, to be able to combine 

drama and music effectively. The Alága (Yorùbá traditional marriage 

coodinators) have in their repertoires different songs for different 

stages of traditional engagement ceremonies.  Music and drama 

performed at different stages depends on the dexterity of the Alága 
`idúró and Alága ìjókòó performing at the engagement ceremony. 

Through creativity, each Alága tries her best to add glamour to her 

performance. From the beginning of engagement ceremonies to the 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

50 

end, dramatic negotiations are employed.The scenes of the dramatic 

performance of the masters of ceremonies are divided into three: the 

arrival of the bridegroom‟s family members, the arrival of the groom 

and the arrival of the bride. 

 

Dùndún ensemble is the most eloquent of the  or b  membranophone 

instruments, which imitates the   yó dialect (Oladipo 2014:160, Vidal, 

2012:43). Investigations show that membranophone instruments such 

as dùndún and gángan are instruments played during engagement 

ceremonies. These instruments have contributed to effective 

dramatic dialogue and negotiations between Alága ìdúró and Alága 
ìjókòó during engagement ceremonies. The following is also a dramatic 

negotiation that took place between the Alága ìjókòó and the Alága 
ìdúró and groom‟s family members at the entrance of an engagement 
venue. 

 

At the entrance of the venue of the engagement, the Alága ìjókòó, as 

is their usual practice, placed three bowls, told the family members of 

the groom to drop money into the bowls. The Alága ìjókòó was so 

funny that she made the guests at the engagement to laugh with ease. 

She said she remembered that when she was in primary school and 

names of pupils were called out from the class register and when her 

name was called she would say „present ma'. She told the family 

members of the groom to line up and as she called them, they dropped 

money into the three bowls and answered, "Present Ma", before they 

were allowed to go in. They had to give amounts of money substantial 

enough as toll fare. She started by calling the groom's father, who 

said, "Present Ma" and then dropped money, called the groom's 

mother, who also said "Present Ma". She went on to call the groom's 

sisters, brothers, friends, housewives and other well-wishers, who 

likewise dropped money into the three bowls. The Alága ìjókòó gave 

the orders through singing, while the dùndún talking drummer 

drummed to the rhythm of her song. The drama goes thus.   

Song Texts and Translation 

  Alága ìjókòó:       b o  ko     



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

51 

  Groom‟s father    Present ma 

  Alága ìjókòó:      ya o ko   
  Groom‟s mother    Present ma 

  Alága Ìjókòó:       gb  n o  ko     

  Groom‟s elder brothers and sisters‟ Present ma 

  Alága Ìjókòó:      b r  o ko   

  Groom‟s younger brothers and sisters‟ Present ma 

The actions stated above are the dramatic negotiation between the 

Alága ìjókòó and the groom‟s family members. 

  

Music and Drama as Means of Entertainment by Alaga 
African theatre is participatory; everybody present at a socio-cultural 

occasion plays one role or the other. It is encompassing, the nature of 

African performance and aesthetics necessitates that everyone 

present is a player in one way or the other. The audience feels 

connected with the actions going on and is entertained. This brings 

about a response from them. The response of the audience could be 

laughing, dancing and singing (Ekweme 2014:429).  

 

Educative Drama and Music during Engagement Ceremonies 

Táíwò (1980) defines education as a continuous process which requires 

formal and informal means of transfer of knowledge, values and norms 

of the people in society.Every society has its system of educating and 

inducting the younger ones into the society, to produce responsible 

adults. Given this, Fáfúnwá (1974) defines education as "the aggregate 

of all the process through which a child develops abilities which are of 

positive value to society" (Fáfúnwá, 1974:3).  

 

Research findings reveal thatcoordinators of engagement ceremonies 

use music and drama to educate and expose societal values and 

culture. African theatre summarizes the social lives of a group of 

people; it encapsulates their lifestyle, economic life, marriage 

relationship, beliefs and their various activities as regards their 

moral/social ethos (Ekweme, 2014). 

 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

52 

A similar view to Ekweme‟s assumption on African theatre was 

discovered.Alága ìdúró and Alága ìjókòó, through their dramatic 

presentations, educates the audience present at engagement 

ceremonies on acceptable behavioural traits of the couple one to 

another and Yoruba other values. A practical example was when a 

bride was told to show off her engagement ring to the audience. The 

song the Alága ìjókòó sang was educative and she adopted the 

competitive style of negotiation. The Alága told the bride to show off 

her ring to other ladies who were present at the engagement 

ceremony. This would make girls who were not patient enough for an 

engagement ceremony to be conducted for them (that is, girls who 

eloped with men without parental blessings) to be envious of the 

bride.   

 

Below is a dramatic song that also teaches patience to other girls who 

might have been planning to elope with men and also evokes in them 

the desire to want to wait for the day of their engagement ceremony. 

The following educative song, which teaches girls patience, moral 

values and the belief of Yorùbás in the importance of parental 

blessings and the submission to one's parents, sang by an Alága ìjókòó 
at an engagement ceremony goes thus: 

 

 A               RÙN 

 
  

Song texts and Translation 

Sako o sako sí won  lórùn sako (2c)               Show off your ring to the 

       disobedient girls (2ce) 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

53 

Torí to gbó ti Daddy/ Mummy   because you were obedient and   

         submissive to Daddy/Mummy  

Sako o sako sí won lórùn sako    Show off your ring to the 

       disobedient girls (2ce) 

 

Another educative song recorded is as follows: 

 

 Á Ì  A‟   E G É „      

 
Song texts and Translation 

Bá yìí là ún se igbèyàwó omo tó gbóràn   This is how we celebrate a 

       submissive and obedient daughter.  

 

Musical and Dramatic Performance at the Arrival of Groom’s 

Family  

 The Alága ìdúró leads the groom‟s family members into the 

engagement venue with the singing of various songs and choruses. At 

the entrance, after the groom‟s family members might have sang and 

danced satisfactorily, the Alága ìjókòó welcomes them on behalf of 

the bride‟s family members and this conversation usually takes place: 

 
Alága ìjókòó: who are you and why are you here? Where are you from? 

What have you come here to do? 

 

It is an obvious fact that the above questions are meant to add 

flavour to the engagement ceremony because months before the 

occasion the bride and groom's family members have been planning. It 

is the engagement day, they are dressed in various attires, seated and 

already awaiting the arrival of the groom's family members. The 

dramatic nature at this stage of engagement ceremonies is that the 

Alága ìjókòó knows who they are therefore, asking them such 

questions is dramatic. The Alága ìdúró replies, “ e are from the 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

54 

family of Oyeleke of Ibadanland: We have come to take a beautiful 

rose from your compound; we mean your beautiful daughter. We have 

come to ask for her hand in marriage”. 

 
Alága ìjókòó: Thanks for coming; I want to go in to give your message 

to our Daddy and Mummy. I want to go in to ask them whether you are 

the visitors we have been expecting. (The Alága ìjókòó goes in and 

kneels before the father and the mother of the bride). 

 
Alága ìjókòó: “Mummy and Daddy, there are some visitors outside; 

they said they are from the family of the Oyeleke of Ibadanland. Are 

they the visitors we have been expecting? Should I allow them in? 

 

The  ride‟s parents: They are the people we have been expecting. 

Please allow them in. 

 

It should be noted that all these conversations are in Yorùbá language. 

Conversation or negotiations are done both verbally and musically; the 

researcher discovered that the lyrics of songs are the medium of 

communication at different stages of musicodynamic negotiations and 

dialogues. 

 

It is a usual practice at every engagement ceremony, for the Alága 
ìjókòó to place three bowls at the entrance of the engagement venue. 

These bowls represent wealth (owó), children (o mo  ) and good health 

(àlàáfíà). The bowls are placed there by the Alága ìjókòó for the 

groom‟s family members to drop money in before they are allowed to 

enter the venue of engagement ceremonies. The significance of these 

bowls is what the Alága ìjókòówishes for the couple in their home. 

Alága ìjókòó allows groom‟s family members in, only when she must 
have been satisfied with their singing and the money they have 

contributed. The groom‟s family members led by the Alága ìdúró kneel 

before the bride‟s parents, other family members and friends. The 

Alága ìjókòó negotiates with groom's family members; she commands 

them to greet in English language and Yorùbá language andbride's 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

55 

parents' native dialect. The greeting goes thus: „Good afternoon sir, 

good afternoon ma, good afternoon friends, good afternoon unborn 

babies, and good afternoon well-wishers'. E káàsán s , e   k  s n m , e  
k  s n   yin   r  , e  k  s n oy n in , e   k  s n af  nif  re".  These 

greetings are part of the dramatic and musical display. It was stated 

earlier that negotiation is sealed when an agreement is reached 

between the negotiators. After the greetings, the Alága ìjókòó tells 

the groom‟s family members to sit down at the reserved seats 

opposite the bride‟s family members.  

 

Musical and Dramatic performance at the Arrival of Groom 

The presence of the groom is usually announced with various dramatic 

presentations. When the Alága ìjókòó sees the groom, she goes to him 

to sing, “ ou are welcome in the name of the  ord”.   he then puts out 

her hand in an attempt to shake the groom, but the groom having been 

warned by the Alága ìdúró that he must not shake the hand of the 

Alága ìjókòó, quickly prostrates. This scene is a demonstration of the 

Yorùbá culture of respect for in-laws. The Alága ìjókòó representing 

the bride‟s family must be respected by the groom.The following is a 

dramatic negotiation that ensued between an Alága ìjókòó and the 

Alága ìdúró, bridegroom and the friends of the bridegroom in an 

engagement ceremony. 

 

The Alága ìjókòó instructed the bridegroom and his friends to drop 

money in the bowls and as they did, they and the Alága ìdúró were told 

to sing: “Daddy, Mummy  lajumoke la dìb  f n‟.  Meaning "Daddy and 

Mummy we are casting our votes for Olajumoke". The Alaga instructed 

them to sing it repeatedly severally. As the groom and his friend 

dropped money, they continued singing with drummers beating the 

Ìyá-ìlù dùndún drum (mother drum of talking drum) to the rhythm 

(m:d:. m:d:. r:m:r:m:r: d:d:. m:) of the song. The instruction of the 

Alága ìjókòó was a display of dramatic creativity.  The money the 

bridegroom and his friends dropped was significant to casting of votes 

during an election.  

 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

56 

The Alága ìjókòó gives the groom and his friends' lots of orders. She 

tells them to match, chest in, chest out, breath in and breathe out. All 

these orders are meant to add fun to engagement ceremonies. She 

showcase various dramatic displays to create fun such as shown in 

plate 2 where the Alága ìjókòó tells the groom and his friends to 

stretch their hands and match. All these actions are part of the 

dramatic negotiation.Communication could either be verbal or non-

verbal. These dramatic orders are forms of verbal and non-verbal 

negotiation. The Alága ìjókòó negotiates with the bridegroom and his 

friends and they carry out the orders. 

 

 
Alágaìjókòó commanding the groom and his friends 

 

The  Alága ìjókòó tells the groom  that he will prostrate to the bride's 

parents and family members as a sign of courtesy  for 103 times, but 

the groom's family members can bail him out by contributing money 

substantial enough, instead of prostrating for 103 times so that he 

will only prostrate three  times. The Alága ìjókòó sings several songs 

telling the groom‟s family to contribute money. The groom and his 

friends prostrate twice, after which, the Alága ìjókòó sings a song 

commanding the groom's friends to stand up. The dramatic 

performance at this stage reveals the Yorùbá culture of marriage. 

The third time the groom prostrates, he prostrates alone. The Alága 
ìjókòówould thenask the groom a very important question „s  o b  b   
f  e ,  b  o  b  b   f  e  ‟ meaning, did you beg before marrying your bride 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

57 

or not? The groom will say „mo b  b   f  e  ‟ meaning, „  begged to marry 
her‟ and   begged her parents and her family members before  emi 

agreed to marry me.  

 

In the picture below, the Alága asked the bridegroom some questions. 

These were to add glamour.  Their conversation was as follows: 

Alága ìjókòó:  ko Ìy w  s  o b  b    f     mi,  b  o  b  b   f e      
Meaning: did you plead with Kemi and members of her family to marry 

her or not? 

 

Bridegroom: Mo b  b   f  e           

Meaning: Yes I pleaded. 

 
Alága ìjókòó:  Is your plea from the depth of your heart or somebody 

forced you to marry her 

Bridegroom: The plea is from the depth of my heart, nobody forced 

me. 

 
Alága ìjókòó:  s  o fi ìd  b l   f   b  o  fi ìd  bálèf  e    

Meaning: Did you prostrate and beg her to marry you or not 

 

Bridegroom: mo fi ìd  b l   f  e            
Meaning: I prostrated and begged her to marry me 

 

 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

58 

The Alága ìjókòó is seen in the above picture asking the bridegroom 

“did you plead with the bride and her family members before you got 

married to Kemi or not? 

 

The Alàga ìjókòó then sings the following song of negotiation and 

entertainment:  

JÉJÉ LA JÓKÒÓ 

 
Song Texts and Translation 

   j   la j k   t     b  b   yí ò from your free will, you have come to 

      ask for our daughter‟shand in marriage 

   gbo  d   yá    In future 

Ko w  so p  b b  m a lo    you must not say, baby, I do not 

      want you again  

   j   la j k   t     b  b   yí ò from your free will, you have come to 

      ask for our daughter‟s hand in marriage  

 

The family members would then pray for the groom. The Alága ìjókòó 

sings a song to instruct the groom to stand up and sit on the laps of 

the bride's parents. The groom is later instructed to go to his parents 

to prostrate before them as a sign of appreciation for taking care of 

him.  

 

Musical and Dramatic Performance at the Arrival of the Bride 

The bride is brought in by her friends. The Alága ìjókòó and Alága 
ìdúró sing various songs to welcome the bride; she kneels before her 

parents to pray for her. The researcher observed that the Alága 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

59 

ìjókòó sings and dramatises at this stage and then tells the bride to 

sit on her parents‟ laps. 

 

The proposal is given to the bride's mother and the acceptance to the 

groom's mother. They both go to present the letters to their 

respective husbands and one of the bride's younger sisters reads the 

letter of proposal. These actions are part of the nuptial negotiation. 

During one of the engagement ceremonies attended, the Alága ìjókòó 

told the guests at the engagement to contribute money to buy a pair 

of glasses for the girl that was to read the proposal.  

 

Another dramatic way of negotiation the researcher observed is the 

Alága ìjókòó telling the groom‟s mother to strap the bride on her back 

with a wrapper and the bride‟s mother to strap the groom on her back. 

The Alága ìjókòó then sings songs that portray that the women had 

just given birth to babies. The Alága ìjókòó thengreets both mothers 

on the birth of their new babies. 

 

The bride is told to kneel before the bridegroom, the bridegroom 

prays for her and gives her money and according to the Alága ìjókòó, 

the money is meant for cooking. The groom carries his wife and places 

her on his parents‟ laps.  n  or b land, the husband is the crown and 

headof the wife according to Mustapha (2009). This belief of the 

Yorùbá is revealed when the bride is told to kneel before her husband 

for prayers. 

 

The bride and groom's family sit facing each other. The side of the 

groom, although in the same venue is regarded as the groom's family 

house, while the side of the bride is regarded as the bride's family 

house.  All these are elements of theatre, although everybody present 

is a participant while the Alága ìjókòó and Alága ìdúró are the principal 

actors. According to Fadipe (2012), in the past, housewives from the 

wife's family escort the bride into the groom's house and one of the 

housewives from the groom's family receives the bride and carries 

the bride into the groom's room after satisfactory displays of singing 



Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

60 

and dancing by the groom's housewives. During engagement 

ceremonies, the Alága ìjókòó instructs the groom to carry his bride 

and place her on his parents‟ laps. The different stages of the  oruba 

traditional engagements are marked with various dramatic displays. 

 

Conclusion 

Alaga iduro and alaga ijokoo are very important personalities in the 

performance of Yoruba contemporary marriage ceremonies. To set the 

mood for engagement ceremonies, masters of ceremonies engage 

various songs and gesticulations in nuptial negotiations. Their roles in 

exposing Yoruba cultural values cannot be underestimated. Through 

music and dramatic performances, they entertain, educate and sustain 

Yoruba culture.  Songs used by Alaga iduro and alaga ijokoo expose the 

Yorùbá culture and norms and have helped in conforming to societal 

beliefs. 

 

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Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijokoo.....                                              Olufunmilola T. Oladipo 

 
 

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