OTE NKWU (SWEET PALM WINE)

"Ote Nkwu (Sweet Palm Wine)" is a vibrant Igbo glee composed by the renowned Laz Ekwueme. Rather than a liturgical hymn, this is a secular choral showpiece that celebrates the cultural joy of sharing fresh palm wine. The piece is driven by a highly rhythmic, percussive vocal ostinato—"Igbam chikili chin chin chin"—which mimics the sound of tapping palm wine or shaking a traditional calabash.

Against this lively backdrop, the voices take turns calling out for the sweet drink. A tenor soloist leads the way, urging the palm wine tapper to bring forth the fresh harvest ("Bute mmanya nkwuo") so the community can drink and rejoice. The melody later passes to the sopranos and the lower voices, weaving a rich, polyphonic texture that captures the communal atmosphere of a village gathering.

For Nigerian choirs, "Ote Nkwu" is a beloved staple for concerts, cultural festivals, and special presentations. It requires tight rhythmic precision and a joyful, spirited delivery. The playful lyrics, debating whether the wine is "nkwu" (from the oil palm) or "ngwọ" (from the raffia palm), and the insistence that it is better in the stomach than left sitting in the pot ("Ka ma ọ g'a do n'ite, k'ọ dolu n'afọ"), make it an absolute delight for both singers and audiences.