An Orchestra of Minorities - A spirit speaking

This fictional book was recommended to me by a Scottish work colleague who told me that he found it very interesting and rich in African culture, both of which are true. I do not know much about the Igbo culture, but it seems similar to have some elements in it which are similar to other African cultures. I know a little bit of my own Yoruba culture but not as deep as I have wished to have known, which I often use as a baseline. Although in Yoruba culture, we have kings, priests, etc., from what I am told, the Igbo pride themselves on being more egalitarian for males, saying, "The Igbo have no King". The book was written by Chigozie Obioma. He was a finalist for the Booker Prize and is a Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This is his second book, the first one being "The Fisherman". 

Chigozie Obioma

The book follows a poultry farmer, Chinonoso Solomon Olisa, and it is explained to us via his Chi or guardian spirit, defined as " the personification of that individual's fate, which is credited for an individual's life's successes, misfortunes and failures". But Chigozie, the author kind of personalizes the Chi, which is in the form of a spirit. It gives the story of the man from his own perspective, seeing what the man is seeing but unable to interfere directly and experience it as a passenger. It is written in the third person, and the Chi gives evidence before the magnificent court of Bechukwu in Eluigwe, away from the host. We are given some characteristics in Igbo mythology of the Chi, which are 

1. Seems to have its own "personality", separate from the host - and remembers experiences from previous hosts.
2. Can possess a man, woman or animal, alive or dead.
3. It can influence a person (it hosts), particularly when emotional. High emotions cause the host to be more susceptible to suggestions of the Chi.
4. Chi is said to be the explanation for madness, epilepsy, murder, unnatural desires of hosts, etc.
5. The Chi can physically leave the host and see the host from outside - floating and flying around the host.
6. Many Chi can be in a particular host and occupy a single host.
7. Chi can see and communicate with one another Chi, oblivious to their hosts, unaware of their Chi presence or its "personality".
8. Time is a relative phenomenon in the Chi world, and its passage varies compared to our natural world.
9. It is an abomination for a Chi to stay in the way of its host or force it to do things. The only thing it can do is to persuade its host.
10. An evil spirit can possess an individual overpowering their Chi. Hence, displacing the Chi, leaving it to follow the host pleading and trying to negotiate with the evil spirit - often fruitlessly with the intruder.
11. The Igbo believe strongly in destiny, and Chi's function is supposed to help its host achieve this in life. 
12. The Chi can represent the host in the spirit world, speaking on behalf of the host and giving an account of the situation the host finds themself in

We are taken through the life and experiences of Chinonoso by his Chi  Which had possessed some other bodies and used that experience in dealing with his current body. Like the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, the author fills his writings with Igbo proverbs. Like "A child does not die of his mother's breast being empty of milk", a frog seen running in board daylight must have been chased by something, etc. Most of the Chapters start with Igbo words that I had to use as an interpreter.

Chukwu: supreme being of Igbo spirituality. In the Igbo pantheon

Egbunu: A name was given to a child born with an umbilical cord tied around the neck, leg, or hand. 

Ebubedike: Mighty warrior

Gaganaogwu: One who walks on thorns

Agujiegbe: Tiger that holds the hawk

Obasidinelu: God of heaven

Agbatta-Alumalu: God that ordains marriage

Ijango-Ijango: The one who blesses to be cheered

Okaaome: Dependable one

Akwaakwuru: Unshakeable one

Another exciting thing is that in Igbo, they have only four days that make up their week, Eke, Orie, Afore and Nkwo. There are 7 weeks in a month and 13 months in a year. This I found very interesting. The Igbo tribe is known to be very hardworking and career-minded and has a society based mainly on personal achievements. Although this also has a dark side, it is the cause of some of the terrible experiences of some people, as seen in the book.

I have heard the screaming pain of a hen after an eagle snacked her chick from the air. I have seen a hen lose all her chicks, which were about ten in number. Living in the rural Northern part of Nigeria was mainly a clear ground before we built a shed for them. So when the Eagle snatched the last chick from the sky, the hen almost tried to fly after it. And yes, I agree that the mother hen's cries of distress and frustration sounded like "an orchestra of minorities". This cry would typically be heard for a couple of days, and she chuckles to cry for her chicks and gets no response. This book is about the helplessness of the cries of the mother hen to the overall situation and the futility of its effect on the Eagle. This was used as an example of the helplessness of our actions on whatever the world might throw at us. 

The story is touching and full of love, pride, betrayal, revenge, forgiveness, redemption, persistence and African culture.

It is an excellent read for whoever might want to see cultural Africa in the modern-day setting. The book's outline seems to be done beautifully. The book is full of emotions and emotional roller coaster, and we go through a whirlwind of happiness, sadness, depression, etc., expressed in our feelings, actions, thoughts, and behaviour. With sharp plot twists and turns to the very end, it was too much for me, and I had to leave it many times as I was highly emotionally involved and it was challenging to read. As I went through Chinonoso's life journey and watched it helplessly through the Chi's eyes, I understood and empathized with his life better.