The Town Crier: Akígbe, Gbohùngbohùn, Ajágbe

In the olden days in Yoruba land, town criers were like the broadcasters of today. They disseminate important information at the village or town square where people usually congregate to hear or discuss important issues. Talking drummers were also used in those days and they represent the fax machine that we use today, to send important messages to distant towns. At the end of the message, a town crier would say ” Mo wii re, abi mi o wii re? ” Did I say it right or not?” These days, town criers would be seldom needed because we have alternatives like the internet, TV, Facebook, messengers and fax machine