THE ART OF FESTIVALS IN NIGERIA

Back to: CULTURAL AND CREATIVE ARTS JSS3

 

Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about the art of festivals in Nigeria. Enjoy the class!

The Art of Festivals in Nigeria

Festival is an event interpreted through arts or artistic abilities to primarily celebrate a people’s tradition, invention, religion, heritage, national unity, dance, food, historical monument, strength and harvest. Principles of cultural and creative arts are employed and give meaning to the nature of the festival and how it will be a good attraction to the target audience.  Dance patterns and songs are also selected depending on the type of festival, what it celebrates and the message it wants to pass across.  The power of drama is also evoked to create some level of idle time, suspense and climax while synchronizing all the other elements of cultural and creative art to produce a public display or performance of the theatric art called a festival.

Types of festivals celebrated in Nigeria

1. Religious festivals (Gelede, Eyo, Ikenga)
2. Cultural festivals (Durbar, boat regatta)
3. Annual harvest festivals (iriji/new yam)
4. Art festivals (visual, film, music, poetry, literature)
5. National unity celebration (Independence Day,)
6. Leaders of tomorrow celebration (children’s day celebration)
7. Natural heritage/endowment festival (Argungu fishing)

Characteristics of festivals

1. Festivals are defined and interpreted through forms of cultural and creative arts.
2. Identity for the festival is adopted. Eg a logo, emblem.
3. Types of dance and music are selected with accompanying dance steps.
4. Some of the elements of drama are used to evoke intrigue, suspense and excitement
5. Religious rituals and prayers for religious festivals.
6. The message of traditional, social or cultural significance.

Gelede festival is celebrated in Egbado, Ogun state,

Eyo is celebrated in Lagos state

Ikenga festival is celebrated in eastern Nigeria.

Durbar is celebrated in Northern Nigeria

Boat regatta is for the people of the riverine in Nigeria

New yam festival in eastern Nigeria

Argungu fishing festival is for the people of Sokoto state

Egungun festival is peculiar to the people of the west in Nigeria

Osun Osogbo is for the people of Osun state

Ojude Oba is for the Ijebus in Ogun state

Iria festival is for the Kalabaris, Delta

Sango and Ogun festivals are for the western people of Nigeria

• Gelede festival:

It is a celebration of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.  It is held to honour women, mothers and elderly in the society as regards to their position in the family and community as well as their spiritual point.  The festival is significant by the elaborate masks worn as head dressed.  These masks are adorned with decorative motifs of land animals and birds.  The masks performers are played by men though in honour of the women.  It brings together every aspect of cultural, and creative art to take form in art and rituals.

• Eyo festival:

This is a cultural and traditional festival of the Lagos Island, Eko indigenes of Lagos state. The festival is significant in its display and parade of white costumed masquerades. Eyo festival is believed to represent the spirit of the ancestors. It may be held signify and honour an Oba, Chief or an Elder in a ruling family that has died.  It can also be held to signify the ascending to the throne- just installation of a new Oba.

The Eyo is robed from head to toe in white flowing cloth consisting of ‘Agbada – the top robe’ and ‘Aropele-the billion wrapped around’. No part of the person in the costume is expected to be seen. An Akete- hat of distinguishing colours is also worn by the Eyo to signify by colour the ‘Iga’ he is from. A sequenced parade and procession impact is also acted out in the effort to create visibility and cultural dominance of the festival.

• Durbar festival:

This is an old socio-cultural and religious festival of northern Nigeria that celebrates special occasions such as the Muslim festival or Sallah, honouring a visiting President, governors, and installation of a new Emir. A festival that reflects the rich colourful garment outing for the people.  It records vibrant colour robed horsemen with Indigo turbans, Ostrich feathers and glittering swords. Acrobatic displays are also part of the rich festival for added excitement, before the introduction of dignitaries and other lined up activities for the day.

• Boat regatta:

This is a traditional festival of the riverine area of Nigeria.  It is a visual ceremonial symbol marking the celebration of their natural heritage, way of life, profession and unity. Lavishly decorated boats in vibrant colours are put on sail by colourfully costumed participants in the different entertaining activities.  These festivals are a collection or fusion of energetic drum beats with a vast variety of songs thundering from each of the beautifully decorated boats or canoes. Dances and costumes that are predominant are those inspired by the physical attributes of elements in the locality.  Eg fish, lobsters, crocodiles the people’s lifestyle and rituals.

• Calabar carnival:

This is a literal annual festival of the state of Cross-River in Nigeria.  The carnival is centred on the tourism sector as an economic development vehicle to grow the state internally, generating revenue.  The carnival began in 2004 and has showcased aspects of the nation’s local cultural heritage while being strengthened by the infusion of the contemporary costume of fashion parades. It is a well-impacted festival with dance, music, costume makeup and sequence parade that lasts for 21 days from the 1^st day to the last day of December every year. The festival started in cross-River under the administration of the then Governor Donald Duke. It has entertained millions of spectators and generated millions of Naira for the state through tourism.

• Argungu festival:

This is religious fertility and natural heritage festival of the Argungu people of Kebbi State, Nigeria. The festival is a celebration of life and has become a credible medium of conserving natural resources as well as maintaining and promoting traditional lifestyle.  The festival marks significantly the end of planting season while announcing in style the fishing season.

• Iriji festival also called New yam festival:

It is the harvest of thanksgiving of the eastern Igbo people of Nigeria.  It is an annual festival, symbolic in its enjoyment and eating mood. The rich cultural lifestyle of the people are also showcased to entertain, ranging from folk dances of joy and feasting, masquerade performances, cultural dance troops, wrestling to acrobatic displays.  The festival is colourfully characterized by the act of joyful exhibition and thanksgiving.

 

In our next class, we will be talking about Scales.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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