Battles of Songs

This is a study of the principal aspects of the Udje tradition poetry, dance and music of the Udu and Aghievwen divisions of the Urhobo of Delta State, Nigeria. It defines the territorial scope of the study, surveys Udu and Ughievwen social history, and situates Udje within the context of the Urhobo song-poetry tradition; reviews the theoretical perspectives on the practice of satire in the Udje dance-songs, and considers the conceptual views of some Udje practitioners of Udje, both as a literary art and as a medium for social reform; and attempts to classify and describe Udje songs. The concluding chapters consider the decline of the Udje tradition and the satirical song-poetry tradition in Urhobo, reviewing how post 1960s trends are likely to affect the artistic integrity of Udje in the future.