ECHOES IN MOTION: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE IN AFRICAN DANCE WITH REFLECTIONS ON ABANG AND EKOMBI

Abstract

This article reviews literature on African dance music, laying emphasis on Ekombi and Abang dances as case study. Abang, which is practiced primarily by the Efiks in Cross River State in the southeastern Nigeria, functions as a cultural resilience and ritual celebration, embodies myth through dance, communal participation, and body movement mimicking the sea wave. Ekombi, from the same part of the country but with roots from Bakweri of Cameroon expresses the readiness of the young maiden towards marriage, shows cultural identity and team work. This review blends key works across the themes of performance, gender, methodology, and epistemology, putting both dances within the African dance spectrum and scholarship. It appraises colonial legacies in academic discourse, while identifying key gaps in notation, musical analysis, and technological impacts. By tracing continuity and cultural exports, the study argues that there is a necessity to decolonize the western approach and lend a voice in the preservation of the cultural dance music. These dances are living archives that helps preserve the heritage of the people while adapting to changes as a result of westernization, technological advancement, yet underscores African dance music as a unique medium of identity, heritage and resistance.