Were music is an indigenous
Yoruba music, which, like
ajisari, is a way of using
music to arouse the
Islamic faithful to pray and feast during
Ramadan festival in Yorubaland. Ajiwere or oniwere means "one who performs were music." Unlike
ajisari, were is performed in groups. Usually young men or boys, numbering up to ten or more, come together to write songs and practise dance moves. Again unlike
ajisari, who sleep a bit and only come out at 2:00 in the morning, the "ajiwere" or "oniwere" leave their homes each night shortly after the
Isha'a (8:00 PM) and
Tarawih prayers. They'll then roam the streets singing and dancing till about 4:00 AM when they disperse to go prepare for that day's fasting. A couple of days before the end of
Ramadan, all of the "ajiwere" or "oniwere" groups in the area meet in a townhall to compete for prizes -- the grand prize is a shiny silver-plated trophy. However, those contests sometimes turn sour, given the unpredictable nature of sore losers.
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