OZIGIZAGA: IJAW METAPHORIC DANCE OF A PEACOCK

By Asiayei Enaibo

Music and dance are twisted in the soul of mankind. They harmonize our souls and discard the burdens of our temporary worries; they are one undying culture that lives with humans side by side. When there is no music and dance, then our world fades away like the tantalizing wind upon the trees of the forest, even the trees dance to the unheard songs of nature.

OZIGIZAGA, an appellation to a prominent young man in Ijaw Nation—Chief Promise Lawuru, who traces his umbilical cord to the Ogbinbiri community in Egbema kingdom as the biggest Ijaw clan recorded in oral and several books. Yes, Chief Promise Lawuru, the President of Egbema Brotherhood—a socio-cultural organization that is geared towards oneness of purpose, and synergy to build an empire to help humanity in a shared vision to expand our scope of living— non-profit organization investing in people, on education, health and community development.

Ozigizaga begins with a trivial metaphor that captivates the mind in the most profound thinking that softly winds us into a new season of creative innovation that demonstrates to us a dance appearance that looks like a beautiful peacock.

Ijaw people in the coastal part of the Niger Delta region have passed through a lot of transformational dynamics in all spheres of life. Their cultural innovations, language, music, festivals, occupations, food and dance have set them differently from other tribes. When an Ijaw man or woman dances to good music, you see total confidence in her or him—a profound style that will hardly elude your mind.

Ozidizaga is a dance to connect us to our cultural values, intriguing, bodybuilding, and inspiring, and it balances and sharpens our solar pelvis expressed through this dance as the body vibrates to the rhythm. In other words, when the shoulders are heaved up in this dance step, what comes to mind is unity; therefore, it can be referred to as a “dance of unity” which touches the mind through our existence as one indivisible people in culture, language and dance.

Music is an essential part of the human breath. It is hallowed to the soul to the realm of ecstasy. The body magnets that part of dancing made attractive, fair attitudes in silken flanks of a new hope. Even Dr. Ezonebi Alfred, the artiste never thought that this his song, will shape Niger Delta region in this manner, not even Ozigizaga the progenitor never saw this coming but, indeed, turn the story into the world of fame of a new opium to our soul.

In the dynamic transformation of human evolution and cultural heritage of the rich Ijaw culture, various musicians of old came with their unique and indispensable traits and style of metaphoric dancing steps into the trend of good music. This new trend of the Ozigizaga dance can be best explained by the phenomenal evolution of the Ijaw Owigiri dance step echoed by late Professor IK Belemu who remarkablely said “Owigiri don come, IK Belemu 1987 Owigiri don come.”
Then Egebo dance, the felete dance, in recent times, Kingsley Endoro Tobou introduced the Wabu dance made prominent by Dr. Alfred Ezonebi.

In it, the waist of the Ijaw women when looked at, can lure you into thoughts of bed romance. The dance came and now gave way to Ozigizaga.

It is the seasonal creativity of a talented musician to create something new in his career with productive sets of people that have made an impact to the society in one way or the other.

Today, a young growing philanthropist who is a product of grace, wisdom, smart and fast-thinking son in Ijaw Nation with his tireless humanitarian service has made unusual milestones; his friendly disposition, organizational mobility, societal sensibilities, community development and humanitarian welfare support to people has prompted a song titled Ozigizaga by Dr. Alfred Ezonebi to use his title Ozigizaga in a song which has metamorphosed into a new dancing style with an impeccable display of women who dance to the rhythm of song and drums in one accord. This style can be best described as beautifully dressed women fashionably created with colours like peacocks in a full appearance to showcase their beauty to nature. Slight bend down and up hands dance set like a peacock

“Mienke Agbamoneowene ooo Ozigizaga”

Simultaneously the drum beat is accompanied by voice. ‘Ofouni-apeile.’

Beautiful peacock in an action display in a rhythmic dance manner.

This song is one of the latest Album of Dr. Alfred Ezonebi a.k.a JKing who follows the footprint of his master, late King Dr. Robert Ebizimor, who also, in his lifetime, introduced different metaphors of dance styles into the dynamic culture of Ijaw music world.

The Ozigizaga dance has brought more fame to the Ijaw music and dance heritage where both the Ijaws and the non-Ijaws are keyed into the Chief Promise Lawuru’s attributes of humanity.

The recent Gbaramatuvoice Ozigizaga dance Challenge in the media space has taken this Ozigizaga dance into the world dance register in both Wikipedia and word formations as Ozigizaga, a dance style which took its origin from the Ijaws of the Niger Delta region by Chief promise Lawuru– dance style in a shape of peacock display in action showing the beauty of nature, Ofouni-Apeile as the rhythm flows simultaneously with the song.

Like the Makosa dance of old, Ozigizaga is the best dance step in the contemporary Niger Delta Ijaw way that gives you inner joy and consoles you from distress.

The best dancers are on a list of awards with money and other benefits by
GbaramatuVoice media organization the originators of the dance challenge that led the song into the glimpse of the world focus and Chief Promise Lawuru became one of the famous, young, youth leaders from the Niger Delta region with his heart of kindness to humanity and the society at large.

The Ozigizaga dance has become a new opium that intoxicates the soul, body and mind, children took their heels to the neighbourhood just to go and listen to the song and dance. Ozigizaga, parents can’t hold themselves any more to discard their worries through the Ozidizga dance.

There is no event in the Niger Delta region, in Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, and Akwa-Ibom all are infused into the culture of the Ozigizaga dance in Ijaw land as Chief Promise Lawuru broke more ground in his name beyond political actors in the Niger Delta region.

As I can’t do the best in the dance challenge, let me also come into the picture through this story of the famous Ozigizaga music by Alfred Ezonebi as Coded M Buku too takes the Ozigizada agene version.

In due time, the world anticipate Ozigizaga fabrics,
Fashion makers with Ozigizaga breast-tube in a form of a peacock.

#Ozigizagadance
#Ijawdance
#Ijawpeople
#Ijawculture
#IjawMusic
#Ijawheritage
#Gbaramatuvoiceozigizagadancechallenge
#talkingdrum

Asiayei Enaibo
Writes from GbaramatuVoice International
+1248136105268