19/09/2026
Watching the isi ji Mgbom dance on Facebook takes me down memory lane back to the early 90s when two of my older brothers were undergoing the ibu ubu initiation rites, as a little girl I used to tag along my late mother to go watch the isi jis dance at ogo Amaobolobo.
Though, I knew little or nothing about Ehugbo and its culture then . But you see this very isi ji dance I watched it back then, as I went with my mother every Orie day to watch the isi jis perform ably led by nnade isi ji, while I couldn't identify which of the isi jis were my brothers but I did know that they were amongst the performing ones.
And, when it comes to isi ji dance leave it for Amaobolobo men. They have the go ahead of others, their dance steps were top- notch and unmatchable. While we can't compare the cultural trend of then and now. I still make bold to say that the isi ji dance of the 90s that I watched is far better and more interesting then what I am currently seeing.
There's was this very isi ji dance step ana azo azo,with the isi jis stamping their feets on the ground according to the rhythm of the chant. While the women are allowed to watch,they were constantly on alert pending when an elderly man will throw sand into the air signalling the end of the isi ji dance and time up for women and enas( uninitiated men) to exit the ogo arena.
My late mother knowing the kind of child I was( very curious and fascinated by such things) and what I could did ensure that I stayed by her side throughout the duration of the event that way she could take me by the hands when is time to leave. If not with my tomboy outlook and my constant wearing of knickers and small trousers then I could just vanish into the obi ogo,and you know what that means.
Don't get it twisted when you see me talking tradition despite being a church member, I came from a traditional society cm family and once in while someone has got to go nostalgic about where he or she is coming from. Man is a social being, and culture is a social aspect of our life.
Kudos to nde Mgbom for revitalising a seemingly lost tradition,unu di ike.
