One thing that is particular to Benin itself is called the Ikegobo.
And Ikegobo is a cylindrical votive object used to mark someone’s
accomplishments. It’s dedicated to the hand, seeing that the hands are the
source of wealth and success. Based on a
person’s hierarchal ranking in their society, it can be made of a variety of
materials: brass, wood, terracotta, or clay.
Art was always important to Beninese life. They were really
famous for their bronze sculptures. These pieces were traded to Muslim traders
who helped introduced Beninese art to the world.
Benin, like much of Africa, has a long history of
storytelling. And like much of Africa, this was an oral tradition, that is,
passing the stories verbally from one generation to another.
The arrival of the French changed things drastically. First
of all, there was the obvious influence from the addition of the French
language. The first novel written from a Beninese author, called L'Esclave, was written in 1929 by Felix
Couchoro. Since then many authors have carved their niche in Beninese
literature.
Most writers are employed in either the education field, in
some aspect of government, or in journalism. One name that came up is feminist
poet Colette Sénami Agossou Houeto. Not only has she been an educator, but she
has written scores of poems. Another female writer is Adelaide Fassinou. She is
Benin's Secretary General for UNESCO, yet has still managed to churn out four
French-language novels. Paulin Joachim is a journalist and editor who has also
published two sets of poetry. He was also the recipient of the W.E.B. Du Bois
medal in 2006.
Up next: music and dance
No comments:
Post a Comment