Ayo Olopon

Author: Ademola, Adedoyin Oluwaseun

Musical Analysis

Ayo Olopon (Board Game), composed by Ademola Adedoyin Oluwaseun in 2024, is a vocal-instrumental work that celebrates the traditional Yoruba game of Ayo Olopon. The composition not only highlights the cultural beauty of the game but also narrates the intellectual contest between players through its rhythmic structures and compositional
techniques. As Femi (2021) notes, traditional Nigerian music often functions as a cultural archive, preserving and dramatising communal practices. Oluwaseun’s composition exemplifies this by embedding the dynamics of the game into musical form.

First Movement

The opening movement begins with a brief introduction in bars 1–2, featuring a call by soprano and alto voices answered by the full ensemble. From bars 3–28, tenor and bass voices present a unison call, while soprano and alto voices respond. This section emphasises the cultural significance of the game within Yoruba society and introduces the two players: ope (novice) and ota (master). The homophonic texture underscores the clarity of this narrative, aligning with James’s (1992) observation that indigenous African music often employs texture to reinforce communal storytelling.

Second Movement

The second movement shifts to a compound meter (6/8), marking a pivotal change in both key and rhythmic character from bars 29–32. Between bars 31–68, the theme develops through contrapuntal techniques, with the soprano line carrying the principal message while other voices interject with varied responses. This interplay mirrors the strategic exchanges of the game, with the faster tempo intensifying the mood. The movement concludes with a dominant chord in F major, symbolizing resolution and balance.

Third Movement

The third movement introduces heightened dynamism and tempo. Beginning at bar 67, the alto voice initiates a strong call that propels contrapuntal exchanges, polytonal techniques, and part exchanges between tenor and alto voices. At bar 97, the soprano sustains a pedal tone until bar 98, layered over counterpoint from other voices. This section represents the climax of the game, dramatizing its tension through loud vocal tones, rapid instrumental rhythms, and Yoruba textual fragments. Such rhythmic intensification reflects James’s (1992) emphasis on the role of rhythm in conveying dramatic progression in African musical forms.

Final Section

Resolution arrives at bar 118, where the soprano issues a concluding call. Other voices continue with note-against-note responses until bar 127, before the homophonic texture returns to close the work at bar 129. The conclusion restores unity, symbolising the communal closure of the game. Importantly, the composition is intended to be accompanied solely by African percussion instruments, reinforcing its cultural authenticity, and it may also be staged as a performative enactment of the game itself (Femi, 2021).

Copyright © 2025 The author retains the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.

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References

Femi, K. (2021). A brief introduction to traditional music in Nigeria: A case study of the three major ethnic groups.
Academia Letters, Article 865. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL865

James, C. (1992). Melodic and rhythmic aspects of indigenous African music. South African Journal: Folk Studies, 3, 15–28.

Author

Ademola, Adedoyin Oluwaseun