Argues that the new elite manifests the continuity of traditions and culture and therefore their leadership values and the impact they brought on African society cannot be fully understood without looking closely at their lived experiences in those indigenous institutions where African life coheres. The key has been to explore this question at the level of biography, set in the context of a carefully reconstructed social history of the particular local communities surrounding the elite figures. 224pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Ekpu Oro ancestral figures represent the personal and social experiences of the Oron people of Southeastern Nigeria, embodying Oron spiritual beliefs and cultural history. As an art form, Ekpu held the key to understanding Oron past tradition that was largely destroyed by colonial and Christian presence in Oron society. This book attempts to reconstruct the histories of Ekpu Oro figures and the Oron people through art historical analysis and on collected oral testimony and interviews with Oron elders, diviners, and titled chiefs. 35 b/w photos, 264pp, USA. EDWIN MELLEN PRESS.

Study of the principal aspects of the Udje tradition of the Udu and Aghievwen divisions of the Urhobo of Delta State, Nigeria. It defines the territorial scope of the study, surveys Udu and Ughievwen social history, and situates Udje within the context of the Urhobo song-poetry tradition. Reviews the theoretical perspectives on the practice of satire in the Udje dance-songs and considers the conceptual views of some Udje practitioners of Udje, both as a literary art and as a medium for social reform; and attempts to classify and describe Udje songs. 258pp, NIGERIA. MALTHOUSE.

Deals with the past and present state of Yoruba society and culture. Includes chapters on Yoruba culture and society, religion and philosophy, theatre, art, music, and colonialism. xxxiv, 372pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS, 086543624X

Examines the use and production of cloth in Bunu society from 1900 to the present. The Bunu Yoruba of central Nigeria mark every critical juncture in an individuals life, from birthing ceremonies to funeral celebrations, with hand-woven cloth. Although today weaving is no longer done by all village women but rather has become the speciality of only a few, hand-woven cloth continues to play a vital role in Bunu social life. Bib, apps, notes, glossary, 8 colour plates, 269pp, USA. WASHINGTON University Press. 0295973927

Provides a history of local communities living in Southeastern Nigeria since the late Nineteenth Century, examining the processes that have defined, changed, and re-produced these communities. Harneit-Sievers explores both the meanings and the uses that the community members have given to their particular areas, while also looking at the processes that have shaped local communities, and have made them work and continue to be relevant, in a world dominated by the modern territorial state and by worldwide flows of people, goods, and ideas. 400pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER PRESS.

The notion of culture embraces many facets of life including the arts, tradition and behaviour. This study is concerned with the culture of the Yoruba people in relation to questions of identity and interaction with other civilisations, particularly the influences of Anglo-American culture, and the Christian and Islamic religions. Aspects considered include: the family; greetings and compliments; respect; table manners; hospitality; consolation and bereavement; characteristics; governance; and taboos and superstitions. 104pp, NIGERIA. UNIVERSITY PRESS.

A discussion of Nigerian culture, introducing to a western audience the complexity of its society and the emerging lifestyles among its various peoples. BNS, photos, glossary, bib, index, 240pp, USA. GREENWOOD,

Humorous look at life in Nigeria guiding the reader on the conduct, deportment, actions, misdoings and misconduct of Nigerian men and women. Illustrated with cartoons. 79pp, NIGERIA. SPECTRUM BOOKS LTD,

Describes the structure of the Ibibio language through a linguistic analysis of Ibibio names. Bib, 94pp, NIGERIA. DAYSTAR PRESS.

1986 9781221895 Paperback

A survey of the social structure, history, art, and recent political and social changes of the Igbo of Nigeria. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, 0823919773

Examines 'Ije', the root word that captures the essence and practice of artistic forms among the Idoma. These include the commoration of several rites of existence, from birth to death, celebrations of deities, seasons and historical events. B/w illus, gloss, bib, 121pp, NIGERIA. ICRC, 9781250836

1998 Paperback

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A collection of work by fifty one scholars describing the environment, people and cultures, history, politics, economics, social services and gender in the Bayelsa region of the Niger Delta. Index, bib, xviii, 621pp, NIGERIA. ONYOMA RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS, 9783507559

Thirty-six scholars, mostly Nigerian, have contributed to this study, which is divided into seven parts: the environment, the people, culture, history, politics, economy and social services, maps, illus, 410pp, NIGERIA. ONYOMA RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS, 9783507508

Shows how Muslim women in northern Nigeria are actively involved in creative activity. Themes such as women's roles in society, women and Islam, history, politics, AIDS prevention, child care, and hygiene form an integral part of their repertoire. Descriptive portraits of the singers interspersed between chapters reveal how they have learned to compose or play instruments and expand on sources of their creative energies. An accompanying audio CD introduces Western audiences to the beauty and richness of Hausa women's song. Index, bib, b/w illus, map, 302pp, USA. INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS.

A description of the cultural heritage of the Owerri people, looking in particular at dances, marriage customs and births. v, 89pp, NIGERIA. MADONNA COMPUTERS AND INT. SERVICES.

A historical resource looking at ethnic, regional and religious diversity in Nigeria. Includes 160 A Z entries of key people, as well as primary documents from the Biafran secession and civil war. BNS, 325pp, UK. 1576076822

2003 Hardback

A cultural biography of Ulli Beier and his experiences of Yoruba society from the 1950s onwards. Gloss, 302pp, GERMANY. BAYREUTH.

This collection of seventy prose narrative samples represents the only published record of the oral tradition of the Emai people of southern Nigeria. The narratives are presented in both Emai orthography and English translation. They tend to portray everyday cultural practices of the Emai with human characters or their animal personification, providing an initial glimpse of Emai cosmology, cultural values and social norms as well as a firm impression of how Emai grammatical resources function in spontaneous narrative discourse. x, 612pp. GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

Compilation of customs and practices by the author of OWERRI PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURE, intended to 're-unite the people overseas with their roots'. 100pp, B/w photos, NIGERIA. OKSON PUBLISHERS.

Highlights the impact of colonialism on Igbo culture, and poses a challenge for a new Igbo renaissance. Bib, index, xvii, 158pp, NIGERIA. TOTAN PUBLISHER.

1999 9782048623 Paperback

Study of the foundation of social ethics in the Niger Delta. Examines the societal organization, ethical ideals, social virtues, and ethos of the Ijo people. The study provides an account on how they sustain orderly activities and relationships among themselves and identifies the sources and carriers of meaning and normality. 496pp, NIGERIA. ONYOMA RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS.

An examination of the subject, themes, and origins of the Udje performance of Southern Nigeria. Includes Udje dance songs and their translation. Index, refs, 177pp, USA. CAROLINA ACADEMIC PRESS, 089089230X

Unlike many of the other major ethnic cultures in Nigeria, which were studied by Western anthropologist in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Urhobo language and culture remained neglected. The work thus represents a comparatively new area of research, approached from an indigenous perspective. The result is a wide-ranging survey of Urhobo culture in Nigeria, offering diverse perspectives on topics such as: naming traditions and practices of the Urhobo; religious beliefs, values and movements; traditions of marriage; artistic productions, food and dress subcultures; and the geography of Urhoboland and agricultural practices. 781pp, NIGERIA. URHOBO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Yemoja, according to Yoruba myth, is the goddess of the river. This re_working of the legend in dramatic form is a celebration of the river goddess and traditional Yoruba cosmology. The author tells the story in a language influenced by Yoruba symbolism and metaphor, inclusive of chants and speeches in the Yoruba language. He seeks to enhance knowledge and appreciation about the Yoruba cultural tradition, exploring the links between past and modern identities. BNS, 63pp, NIGERIA. KRAFT BOOKS

1996 Hardback

Responding to growing international interest in Yoruba culture, practitioners of bata performance - a centuries-old drumming, dancing, and singing tradition from southwestern Nigeria - have presented themselves to the world as an emblem of traditional Nigeria. Locally, however, the market for bata has been declining as it plays less of a ritual role and opportunities for performance have dwindled. Debra L. Klein's lively ethnography explores this disjunction, in the process revealing the world of the bata artists and the global culture market that helps to sustain their art. Describes the dramatic changes and reinventions of traditional bata performance in recent years, showing how they are continually recreated, performed, and sold. Index, bib, gloss, notes, 220pp, USA. CHICAGO U P.

In songs, dance, drama and literature, the Yoruba have asserted themselves as a force in the world of creativity. This collection of essays considers key figures in the cultural outpouring, from Fela Kuti to Wole Soyinka. Index, 350pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS. 1592213367

Anthology focused on the enslavement, middle passage, American experience, and return to Africa of a single cultural group, the Yoruba, tracing its experiences throughout the cycle of the slave experience in the Americas. The 19 essays, employing a variety of disciplinary perspectives, provide a detailed study of how they were integrated into the Atlantic world through the slave trade and slavery, the transformations of their identities and culture, and the strategies for resistance employed by the Yoruba in the New World. Index, bib, b/w photos, 455 pp, USA. INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Covers the major issues on Yoruba history and politics, thus offering a solid understanding of one of the most populous ethnic groups in Africa. With a careful blend of sources and methods, narratives on the past and present, the book manages to present a long history as the backdrop to complicated contemporary politics. The contributors include: Tunde M. Akinwumi, Olufunke A. Adeboye, R. T. Akinyele, Aribidesi Usman, Tunde Oduwobi, Olufemi Vaughan, Abolade Adeniji, Jean-Luc Martineau, Ann O'hear, Rasheed Olaniyi, Charles Temitope Adeyanju, Julius O. Adekunle, Funso Afolayan, and Olayiwola Abegunrin. Index, b/w illus, tables, 370pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER PRESS.

This book is not a dictionary, rather it explains how names are constructed in Yoruba. Yoruba name phrases with English translations. Text in English. 108pp, NIGERIA. SEFER.

The classic anthropological account of the Yoruba, first published in 1964. The author describes customs, religion, rituals and folklore. Includes an appendix contain-ing a comparison of the Tshi, Ga, Ewe and Yoruba languages. 402pp, USA,