SEMIOTICS OF STYLES OF VOICE AESTHETICS IN ORIN KETE AND ORIN AGBÈ

Melodious singing in the performance of orin kete and orin agbè is determined by the quality of performers’ voice modulation. This study, therefore, examines various styles of voice modulation to expatiate the importance of quality voicing and its semiotics implications in these genres. Micheal Riffatarre’s Semiotics of Poetry was adapted as a theoretical framework. Data on orin kete were collected at Ìgbó-Ọrà in Ìbàràpá. Data on orin agbè were also collected at Igbó-Ọrà, and Ilùà and Ìmia in Òkè-Ògùn. The availability of the data determined the selection. Various types of voice modulations revealed in the study are tonal counterpoint, tonal distortion, vowel lengthening, voice vibration, nasalised voicing, guttural voicing and humming. The semiotic implications of these include qualisign1 of tonal cohesion, signification of technical know-how of maintenance of rhythm, quality of voice dragging capacity, dialectal signification, iconic signifier of Orò2 and signification of attainment of quality performance. Good voicing aesthetics in orin kete and orin agbè are determined by the performers’ voicing technical know-how of singing patterns in the genres.