Reign of the Leopard: Ngbe Ritual.

The article focuses on the art history of the popular leopard society in the Cross River region. This society is called Ekpe by the Efik and Ngbe by the Ejagham and their different local variants. Although there was a great ethnographic and historical attention given to this society little is known about the sources of its masked dance forms and the spread of its dance, song and drumming styles. In the postcolonial era, Ngbe has held its international character and figures prominently in the social life of the riverain peoples of the region. Each village has its own independent lodge or palaver house which functions as a repository for cult tradition.