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An amazing workshop with @aafreeka company

An amazing workshop with @aafreeka company

Ajugbo (Badagry Dance), also known as Sato, is a dance that is originated from the western people of Nigeria, the Badagry People. The dance is a ceremonial dance used in expressing the slave trade era.
It’s a celebration of freedom, during the era of the slave trade.
The energetic gestures and jerking of shoulders expressed freedom from the struggles and hardships the people went through during the slave trade era.

There is a very well-known deity (Masquerade) that is a complement to this dance which is called Zangbeto.
Ajugbo dance also has a full set of Badagry local drums. The lead drum is called “Teun”, the backup drum is called “Akaun” or “Gbedu” and the small backup drum is called “Molo”. And above all the Sato drum.

The Sato drum plays a fundamental role in the cultural life of the people. It performs multifarious functions that express the soul of the community as the ritual symbolism of the people. Sato drums are very important in the cultural history of the people of (Egun) Badagry.

The Sato drums are male and female single-headed drums constructed with the Atin-Iroko tree and the membrane covering the drum is the skin of an antelope. It is a giant drum around 3 meters high. It is one of the largest drums in the membranophone category and has two forms, male [1.6m] and female [1.63m].

It is also sometimes hermaphroditic and displays its sexual attributes strikingly. These drums were to be played any time the Badagry people were having a festival or ceremony to perform.
The dance also has beautiful songs that are indigenous and well cherished by the Badagry people.

Written by: Scarz