According to Historians, Obagbeyi was a Double Prince. Obagbeyi lived all his youthful life in Oba-Ile with Oloba. He has a dual Princeship. When her mother, who was the Daughter of Oloba conceived for Deji Otemoye, she left Akure for Oba where he gave birth to Adegite. It was a tradition, for any Olori who got pregnant to leave the Palace before delivery, hence the relocation of Adegite’s mother to Oba After consulting Ifa, destiny picked Obagbeyi to become Akure king in order to stop rapid succession
owing to high mortality rate of Akure monarchs.

Therefore he had to leave Oba for Akure. Being a nostalgic, he has to replicate amongst other festivals, the Aeregbe festival in Akure, so that he won’t be deprived of those festivals he was use to in Oba. This was how Aeregbe came to Akure.

Aeregbe therefore is an annual festival jointly celebrated by the Akure and Oba-Ile communities. It takes place just 21 days after Ipagbon and it’s in the month of August. It involves the baking of special cake called “akara Aeregbe”. Before the Aeregbe day in Akure, the Deji would notify Akure of the day and declare the closure of markets in Akure land.

The Esibi dancers led by Asoga and Olodan are the traditional performers during this festival, with a huge demonstration of some most beautiful dance steps, coupled with wild athletic or acrobatic movements. This is definitely not for the sick in body or mind.

The Esibi dancers, known as “Elesibi” or “Onisibi” sing proverbial songs that as well as celebrate also challenge any evil doer in the town, to shame them. For instance, if anyone had been convicted of stealing or adultery in the community, they are bound to be looking for an escape route out of the town as the celebration draws near. They cannot escape the songs of these people which would further shame them. So many times people had to think very well before getting involved in silly things that could bring shame and ridicule to their family.

As much as Onisibi are known as traditional dancers, it is actually more than a dance as it includes other performances from the traditionalists. Their style of music is known as ‘Sibi’. The performers or traditionalists are therefore called ‘Onisibi’.

The sibi dance always take place during ‘Airegbe’ festival, where all shops are locked for the day and anyone that open is being confiscated and shared by the worshippers and their followers. It is popularly called “Duuduuduu”. Rather all buying and selling would be done the day before the celebration and this market is called ‘anokoru’, which means the market goes on till late, as there
would be no market the following day. The “Oja Anokoru” usually takes place at “Oja Oshodi”, the reason why they usually eulogised as…

“Omo oloja Oshodi Anoye.”
“Omo oloja Oshodi Anokoru.”

This is the tradition to date in Akure. The onisibis are in full action during this particular festival. Aeregbe is celebrated in Akure and Oba on the same day. The late Asoga Ojo Adigun has led this pretty much in Akure. Now, his Son (successor) Asoga Abisoye is also doing well. The Vocalist, Olodan, on his part performs well with good delivery of his message. Some of their songs are not only abuse but a source of information. You’ll get to know some of the happenings in the Community you are not aware of. The current Olodan Alaba has passed the responsibility onto his son Seun, known as Arole Olodan and he’s doing very well.

The Onisibi dance around the town in seven days as a form of rites to appease the gods for peace in the town. The Onisibi dancers which are either male or female are always half-dressed (females are seen in wrappers tied up to their chest while the males only wear big skirts and are both adorned with beads and cowries). At the end of the festival, they share drinks with the town’s monarch, the Deji of Akure as well as performing other rites in the king’s palace while Deji will be spraying money on them Asides their performance during the festival, the Onisibi also perform in the streets. In their local Akure dialect, the sibi performers sings by abusing people in their lyrics especially during traditional ceremonies (burials, coronations, etc.) and they end up being paid for their services.

They also sing to abuse people of high status such as chiefs who sees it as fun and then give them money for their performances. The performers are led by a vocalist who sings in the Akure dialect and is backed by other members of the band. They perform using an object called ‘’apapara’’ which is a cow skin on a rod that looked like a hand fan. This is beaten with a stick as they perform.

They could use simile in their abusive lyrical contents. They may say ‘you are as fat as a pig, dark as charcoal’ to make others laugh to their jibes on whoever they are performing for. The Akure people are known to be wordy; the Onisibis are an epitome of their speech.

So the going of Obagbeyi to become the Deji of Akure changed the face of Esibi dance in Oba-Ile. Instead of many days’ dance, it now holds only one day at Oba-Ile while it would have taken place many days preceding this at Akure.

This Festival was part of the reasons why Obagbeyi was changing the entrance to the palace in order to see from afar when the Esibi dancers and people from Oba were coming to Akure. It got to the ninth time (igba k’esan or ere k’esan) before he could get the desire result. He was only trying to centralised the entrance in a way that when he look straight towards Oke Eda he would be able to see and watch them as they were coming. This also led to naming of the Oja Oba to Erekesan market.

SOMI AJAY