TORTOISE SHELL DRUMMER

Photograph by J. C. McCall

This young man is a performer at the Ikoro Agwu festival in Akanu, Ohafia. The event celebrates an accomplished dibïa or native doctor. The tortoise shell drum is reserved for use in dibïa ceremonies. His participation in this traditional festival marks him as an aspiring dibïa. His "urban" style attire, however, signals his involvement with White Lodge, a group of young dibïa who want to modernize the appearance of dibïa while maintaining the cultural roots of the practice.