Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

Every African civilization is defined by a traditional celebration that is passed down orally. In many facets of Nigerian communities' festivities, music is essential. For instance, music is a way for the people to show their culture during traditional festivals. The egungun festival, held yearly in Ago-Iwoye, is one of these celebrations. Music plays a crucial role in the festival. This paper informs the function of indigenous music during the egungun festival. Emile Durkeim's functionalist theory serves as the foundation for this essay. The study used interviews, the observation method, and primary data. It also employed scoring and context analysis of selected songs used during the egungun festival. The study found out that Yoruba indigenous music is a key tool used as adjunct to each stage of the egungun festival in Ago-iwoye. The richness of the music helps to appeal in prayer, invoke spirits of the ancestors into the festival, unite every member of the community and promote cultural heritage. The study recommends documentation and archiving of the musical traditions associated with the egungun Festival.

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