A significant feature in Nigerian music is agogo (bell). A single or multiple bells that is also used throughout the world. It is part of the Samba baterias (percussion ensembles) and has its origins in traditional Yoruba music. The Yoruba people cannot do without the bell in their traditional music as well as contemporary music such as juju, popularized by King Sunny Ade, Fuji by Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, and so on. Agogo is a percussion instrument which is been struck with a wooden stick. It is the oldest samba instrument and also has the highest pitch of any bateria instruments.
Each type of bell has a different size. This makes it produce different pitched notes when any of the multiple bells is struck. It used to be made of wrought iron, but are now manufactured with a variety of metals and sizes for different sound qualities. The most common arrangement is two bells attached by a U-shape piece of metal. Either bell may be hit with a wooden stick to produce sounds in resonance with sounds from other musical instruments. A clicking sound is also made by squeezing the two bells together.
The bell is majorly a percussion instrument in Yoruba traditional music. Along with sekere and gangan (talking drum), it is another essential musical instrument in their music. Their cultural troupes make use of this bell; in fact, traditional dancers can only dance to the sounds produced by the bell. It is also an important part of the Yoruba musical genre such as Juju, Afro-juju, Apala, Fuji, and so on. Agogo is always present in the musical instruments of musicians that have taken Nigerian music to the world scene. The bell is also the major instrument played for the dance masquerades. Along with smaller bells attached to the ankles, the masquerades shows dexterity with the sounds during cultural events.
This sounding bell also plays an important role in king-making-processes/chieftaincy ceremonies. In some areas, it is an important part of the special rites done in these processes. The bell has to be sounded in agreement with the proclamations or prayers said by the Chief Priest or occultists. This is portrayed in one of the best Yoruba epic movies titled ‘Saworo Ide & Agogo Ewo’. These movies, produced by filmmaker Tunde Kelani, sheds more light on the importance of the bell in Yoruba culture.
Before the advent of social media, telecommunication and broadcasting stations, the bell was used in Yoruba land and some other parts of Nigeria for passing information to the people. A town crier passes information from the king or chiefs to the people using the bell to get their attention. Once the bell is being struck with a wooden stick, the people gather at a point to listen to whatever the town crier has to say. The bell is as important in this case as the town crier and can be likened to the modern day tweet that reaches the world.
Apart from the percussion bell, there is also a bell used for religious purposes, also called agogo. It has a tongue and a clapper which is hit on the metallic body to make sounds. It is used by Pentecostal churches as a form of musical instrument and for prayer purposes. Agogo is just as important here as it is in every other part of the world.