Ufie, An Ancient Igbo Music.

This ancient Igbo Music.

Ufie music is an ancient Igbo Music. In many communities in the South East Nigeria it is regarded as the only music designated for the initiation into the Nze Ozo title. It belongs to the genre of music which dance steps must be in accord with the tune. Every beat of the music has a meaning. The ufie music is a product of two large wooden gongs, set side by side, and beaten by one person with two hands at the same time on the two gongs to produce intelligible sounds. The marvel has always been the dexterity of the ufie musician who has to produce two different sounds on two different wooden gongs at the same time. As the beat is complex, so also the dance steps. The initiated ozo title holders dance the ufie with a long metal staff, with a gentle body movement depicting affluence. But for the uninitiated, the dance steps can be anyhow. As the dance steps for the initiated is different, so also the tune they dance to.