Reconstructing the Musical Life of Pre-Colonial Oyo Empire: An Archaeomusicological and Oral History Approach

This research undertakes a pioneering archaeomusicological and oral history reconstruction of the musical life of the pre-colonial Oyo Empire, one of the most powerful and culturally sophisticated polities in West African history. The Oyo Empire, which dominated the western Sudan and Guinea coast regions between approximately the 14th and 19th centuries, possessed a rich court music tradition incorporating talking drums, shawm-like instruments, metallophones, and elaborately organised royal ensembles whose vestiges survive in Yoruba musical practice today. However, systematic historical reconstruction of Oyo court music has been impeded by the lack of written sources and the limited application of archaeomusicological methods to West African sites. This study combines analysis of archaeological evidence from Oyo Ile excavations, iconographic evidence from Yoruba art objects, oral historical accounts collected from griots and royal court musicians in Oyo State, systematic comparative analysis of surviving Yoruba court music traditions, and ethnomusicological field documentation. The theoretical framework integrates archaeomusicology, oral tradition research methodology, and Yoruba historical scholarship. Findings will produce a richly evidenced reconstruction of musical life in the Oyo court and propose a methodological model for archaeomusicological research in West African pre-colonial contexts applicable to other kingdoms. Keywords: Archaeomusicology, Oyo Empire, pre-colonial music, oral history, Yoruba court music.