Urhobo cultural life is permeated with folk songs that are performed on various occasions. Some of these songs are performed on special occasions, such as funerals. Others are more spontaneous and are song by housewives and men alike in ordinary and routine course of their lives. There are also youth folk songs that young men and women perform on a variety of play situations. All of these folk songs have been in Urhobo culture for centuries and are the property of the culture.

We will attempt to bring samples of these folk songs to the pages of our web site. Doing so poses special problems. They need to to be translated from Urhobo language, whose culture allows lyrics that assume metaphors and expressions that are special to it. Translating these folk songs into English requires that we capture the letter as well as the spirit of the songs in ways that may stretch the literary meanings of the songs. That much we will attempt in each case. In these circumstances, Urhobo Historical Society will appropriate the copyright of each translation of the folk songs to their translators.

Peter P. Ekeh
Editor@waado.org
31 December, 2001