Beyond Music: Indigenous Instruments and Traditional Communication among Selected Ethnic Nationalities in Rivers State, Nigeria

This study examined idiophones and membranophones as indigenous communication media among selected ethnic nationalities in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study identified the forms of idiophones and membranophones used among the selected ethnic nationalities, examined the situations in which they are deployed, and determined the categories of information or messages communicated through them. The study adopted a mixed-method research design. The population comprised 1,017,015 persons aged 40 years and above across the Ikwerre, Ogoni, Kalabari, Andoni (Obolo), Etche and Ogba ethnic nationalities in Rivers State. A quantitative sample of 400 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane formula, while 23 cultural practitioners and custodians were purposively selected for in-depth interviews. A structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews constituted the principal instruments of data collection. Of the 400 questionnaires administered, 367 were returned, while 360 were valid for analysis, representing a 90% valid response rate. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies, percentages and weighted mean scores, while qualitative data were subjected to interpretive analysis. Findings revealed a rich diversity of idiophones and membranophones across the six ethnic nationalities, including gongs, bells, rattles, slit drums, xylophone-type instruments and various forms of traditional drums. The instruments were deployed during festivals, marriages, funerals, religious and spiritual activities, chieftaincy ceremonies, rites of passage, community meetings and emergency situations. Quantitative findings established that idiophones and membranophones communicate community meetings, deaths and funeral rites, warnings and emergencies, traditional festivals and ceremonies, as well as celebratory events such as marriages and chieftaincy titles, with a grand mean of 3.18. The study concludes that idiophones and membranophones transcend their musical and entertainment functions to constitute culturally embedded indigenous communication systems that facilitate information dissemination, social mobilisation, community participation and cultural continuity. The study recommends systematic documentation, preservation and integration of indigenous communication knowledge into cultural education and heritage preservation initiatives. Keywords: idiophones, membranophones, indigenous communication, traditional media, cultural heritage, Rivers State, Nigeria, ethnomusicology