Abstract

The world of most African communities extends beyond the physical, not only because they serve a large pantheon of gods with which they communicate with, but also because they believe that the deceased ancestors continue to exist and communicate with them from the supernatural realm. With the spirits of the ancestors, they share ideas, express emotions, seek clarifications and ask for directions. These are achieved through an esoteric communication which takes place in Yoho ritual performance. The communication process with the world of the dead in Yoho is the focus of this paper with a bias for the feedback element. Through Participant-Observation and Performance Experimentation Methods of research, the paper investigated the challenges and complexities of the language of Feedback in African Indigenous Communication, using the Yoho Ritual performance of the Ogu of Agonlin in Badagry as focal point. The paper created a model for Yoho communication and through this model, displayed the complexities embedded in the line of communication process. The findings revealed that understanding feedback in African Communication System could be both complex and flexible, depending on the sanctity of the participants (Encoder, Medium, Channel and Decoder) in the communication line.

Key Words:  Ritual Performance, Language of Feedback, Yoho, Ogu, Badagry.

About the Authors

*      Olusola Smith Adeyemi, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria. His research interests include Applied Theatre, Theatre Management, Development Communication, Film Criticism and Cultural Studies.

**    Anthony Vinuyon William lectures in the Department of English, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos, Nigeria. His research is in Constrastive Analysis of Language, Language in culture, Political discourses, Critical Discourse Analysis.

***  Hungbo Ovisemeho Kotin is a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. His research interests include Cultural Studies, Media Arts and Sociology of Drama.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, April 2024, pp. 69-79

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Adeyemi, O. S., William, A. V. & Kotin, H. O. (2024). Complexities of language of feedback in Yoho ritual performance among the Ogu of Agonlin in Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 16 (1): 69-79.

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