Role of men and women in the performance of ebyeevugo among the Banyankole (south-western Uganda)

Abstract

This study was about ebyeevugo (music recitatives) among the Banyankole of South-Western Uganda and the roles women and men play during their performances. In this study, I examined the background, nature of the people, performance styles and the roles men and women play when ebyeevugo are performed. I also examined the nature of continuity and change that has occurred in these performances. The findings in this study indicate that indeed ebyeevugo act as a platform for the Banyankole to portray the roles of men and women in their society. When these recitatives are performed, the roles of women and men are showcased. These roles are portrayed through song texts and costumes, among other items. My research has also shown that a number of things have changed in the context of what ebyeevugo are composed of and the perception of people about them. These changes are as a result of education, religion, and modernity as a whole. For example, in the twenty-first century, it is no longer only the men that are allowed to perform ebyeevugo as it was the case among traditional Banyankole, but also the women can do so in the contemporary society.