Pilgrimage by Juwon Ogungbe
Juwon Ogungbe's latest release, 'Pilgrimage' is a suite of songs that tell a story about a contemporary tendency to associate Abrahamic religious belief with progress and enlightenment to the detriment of traditional belief systems. The artist was inspired by the homeland of his maternal family, Abeokuta (a-bay-uh-ku-tuh) and writes from the perspective of an individual journeying to connect with his ancestral antecedents.
The name Abeokuta is a direct translation of “Under the rock”, in reference to the Olumo rock which is a significant part of the landscape and history of the city. Inside the Olumo rock there is a shrine to the spirit of the rock. The city is also renowned for arguably being the first place in Nigeria where Anglican missionaries settled to spread the Christian gospel in the 19th century. This led to the largest populated Anglican Diocese in the world.
Ogungbe says, "Almost by chance, the sequence of events outlined by the songs symbolizes for me the mixed emotions and divided loyalties that many people of my heritage feel when faced with choices to make, regarding personal values. In many social settings, the traditional belief systems are dismissed as ‘mumbo jumbo’. But people do other things behind closed doors. I would like the EP to start a conversation about these issues."
Tracklist
| 1. | Letting go of my baggage | 3:09 |
| 2. | The elders in the dome | 3:52 |
| 3. | Your ancestors are with you | 3:33 |
| 4. | Caught you in the act | 2:49 |
| 5. | The Oracle once told us | 2:27 |
| 6. | Your ancestors are with you | 3:33 |
Credits
Composed and performed by Juwon Ogungbe
Recorded by Chris Mansell
License
All rights reserved.
Juwon Ogungbe is a London based composer, singer and theatre maker whose music draws inspiration from Opera, Western Art Music and African music genres.
Apart from creating music for film, television and radio,
Juwon writes a daily blog which he posts on his website at www.juwonogungbe.com . He also presents weekly podcasts and vlogs that can be found on notable social media platforms.