Lagos state again witnessed spectacular display of cultural heritage, magnificent costumes, drama and dances as the annual Lagos Black Heritage Festival ignited the excitement of the Easter holiday. The festival showcases the beautiful tourism potentials of the state as the choicest place to be during festive season. OREDOLA ADEOLA who witnessed the event writes.
It was indeed a week of complete razzmatazz and showcase of richness of Africa culture, as Lagosians were held to a non-stop eight- day Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF). The festival kicked off with the Vision of the Child's exhibition which featured paintings from 9 - 11 year-olds young Nigerians selected from about 30 schools, who expressed themselves through the amazing works of art, to register awareness to the spate of corruption in the country. The festival also featured display of the richness of Africa culture in various exhibitions and performances. With dazzling display of colourful tourism potential of the state during the festival, Lagos state has not only proven its mettle as the commercial capital of Nigeria, but has also used the festival as a platform to prove its leadership in the development of the country's tourism potential.
Other daily activities featured during the festival also include: art exhibition, live musical performances by Footprint of David, Femi Coker and Agare, Command performances of Obakoso by the Duro Ladipo Company, Olodumare by Wole Alade, Kola Ogunmola's LankeOmu – The Palmwine drinkards adapted by Tunde Kelani from the Amos Tutuola's novel, and Tunde Awosanmi followed by Badagry Day, Carnival Queen Pageant, all held in different centres including Freedom Park, Civic Centre with a Boat regatta at Lagos Lagoon along Ozunba Mbadiwe. The festival came to a climax on Easter Monday with the grand finale- Lagos Street Carnival at Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos.
The unimaginable relief the festival particularly Lagos Carnivals offer to tourists who witnessed the whole activities was beyond measure, as it provided thousands (Young and Old) revelers who “freed up” themselves to participate in the floats and fetes a physical and spiritual healings. Indeed participating in the carnival has saved the participants millions of Naira that could have been incurred in medical bills, if there were no carnival. The 9 km according to Mr. Richard Bickerstheth, the coordinator of Ifako-Ijaye Carnival group, is a major walk-out that keeps participants fit all year-round.
LBHF 2014 took a break from the Black in the Mediterranean Blue series and ordinary geographical position to a more disciplined and focused outlook with its theme: The Music Makers. According to the Carnival Committee, ''there is so much significant progress being witnessed in the musical field, but domination of the Euro-American pop forms has almost stifled the exploration of indigenous musical. Hence LBHF yielded front stage this year to music, we know music plays a dominant role in social life, and that is why the festival played tributes to African music pioneers including Steve Rhodes and other contemporary composers spanning decades oversees but not known to locals''. The festival would also open the eyes of aspiring musicians to the vastly unexplored possibilities of musical forms right in their own backyards as option to the largely imitative trends currently pursued by new generation of musicians.
Freedom Park, Broad Street, the venue of most of the carnival programme was a beehive of activities as fun- seekers were treated to all forms of legendary performances that went on simultaneously at all the events arena including the Exhibition of the “Vision of the Child” opened to visitors at the Kongi's Harvest Art Gallery till the last day of the festival.
Prior to the kickoff of the festival, some of the beautiful parks in Lagos state, including Oshodi Park, Falomo Roundabout, Ojodu Park and other major gardens and parks, billboards, buses, and all forms of giant figures dancing on water are tastefully decorated statue of the Carnival Queen, peacocks and other beautiful carnival images, signaling the preparedness of the state for yet another eventful carnival.
CARNIVAL QUEEN
As part of the programme scheduled for the festival, the Lagos Carnival Queen (Agbeke Eko) was hosted at the Freedom Park on Saturday April 19. The beauty competition offered beautiful girls in the state the opportunity to showcase their intellect, poise and talent to win a coveted grand prize of N2,500,000(Winner) with a brand new car, N1,500000(Second) and N1000000(third).
In a keenly contested competition held between 10 contestants selected from the various carnival groups in the state, Ms Badmus Ajoke emerged as the winner of 2014 Agbeke Eko, while Adeyemi Kehinde and Oluwatosin Adeyemi emerged as the first and second runners up respectively. Maltina, the official malt drink for the festival, also sponsored the Queen to a holiday at Obudu Cattle ranch with all-expense paid trip.
While the pageant, anchored by Yemi Shodinmu had performances from the Eyo Group, with an electrifying performance by burgeoning songress, Yemi Alade.
BOAT REGATTA
Also, on Easter Sunday, thousands of fun seekers defiled the threat of rain to enjoy the annual Lagos Boat Regatta at the Lagos Lagoon, along Ozunba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island Lagos. While the rain the interrupt the proceedings some fans of the game stayed behind to catch a glimpse of the competition.
The Regatta sponsored by Skye Bank Plc. had contestants from twenty (20) different water communities in Nigeria. The competition was filled with fun and excitement as the competition attracted large crowd while competitors displayed their skills and dexterity in boat handling under high speed despite the pressure of the rain.
According to representative of Sky Bank Plc, Dayo Aladeijebi, “The annual boat competition brings to live the rich cultural heritage of Nigerian. The partnership between the Lagos State government and Sky Bank is meant to promote the tourism potential of the state. It is important to note that tourism is a veritable element of growth globally hence the need to develop and reduce the continued dependent on revenue generated from crude oil.''
LAGOS CARNIVAL
Rapping up the week-long festival, on Easter Monday was the 5th edition of the Lagos Carnival held at the over 50,000 capacity sized Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Lagos. However, the old parade ground was a beehive of activities during the carnival as varieties of colours were on display; entire atmosphere was charged with thousands of tourists who all thronged into TBS to catch a glimpse of the annual carnival. The state government offered free BRT buses to move participants to the venue of the carnival.
Earlier, the various carnival groups had procession
The carnival also had Lagosians in carnival mood, displaying jaw dropping moves, creativity, arrays of colours. The parade of different sketches, designs, make-up, colours and costume of the contestant gives the event a glamorous lift. The tight security around the carnival routes and the venue was top-notched as all the security agents including Anti-terrorist Military and the Mobile Police force monitored activities of participants.
The carnival tagged “Lasgidi” had about 12000 participants from various carnival groups in the states including the traditional Fanti groups of Campos Lafiaji, Epetedo and Oko Faji,Ikoyi Legacy while other groups are selected from the six educational districts in Lagos including Ikeja, Ketu, Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye, IkoroduOgba, Isolo, Surulere, Odi-Olowo, Mushin, Ilasamaja, Oworonshoki Awoyaya, Addo Langbasa, Epe and Badagry featured in the street parade through different routes from Bourdillon Road, Giwa Barracks, Falomo Roundabout, Awolowo Road, King George V Road, Igbosere Road, Campos Square, Catholic Mission Street to Tafawa Balewa Square in a road show which was characterized by beautiful leg works and acrobatic display.
Tourists and fun seekers who all came out to celebrate the carnival applauded the train of colourful costumes that graced the road show. Some foreigners were also seen with cameras to take pictures of carnival train and other creative and stylish displays that accompanied the event.
In his address to the participants, The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, urged Lagosians to embrace peaceful co-existence, while also being sensitive to security vigilant. He added that the continuity of Lagos Carnival is hinged on political stability in the state.
He however congratulated Lagosians on the celebration of Easter, while urged for resilient as a way to overcoming various challenges as the Easter depict sacrifice and triumph.
“Lagos Carnival represents the real spirit of Lagos which is a spirit of prosperity after prosperity, because Lagosians have gained immensely from the sales of materials including fabrics, feathers and sequins used for designing the costumes, purchased in the fabric market in the state” Fashola said.
He added that the carnival over the year has become a veritable investment offering both the state government and the citizens the opportunity to gain economically from the tourism potentials, as all the various costumes worn by the carnival groups were produced in the state at the Skills Acquisition Centres at Igando.
The Minister for Tourism and Culture, Edem Duke, who was also a guest at the carnival, Lagos Carnival shares a lot of similarities with the Calabar Carnival with the display of costumes. He added that Lagos carnival has a lot of big audience with so much potential even at the fifth edition.
Duke said “In an attempt not to criticize the effort of the organizers, efforts must be ensured to reduce the display of Caribbean culture. The organizing committee needs to enhance the local content in the design of all the costumes. I want to see display of undiluted culture from the Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu contigents. The designers of our carnival costumes must be allowed to go for refreshers and be certified in courses at tourism institutes where they could be trained on how to make inclusion of local content in their designs.”
He added that Lagos Carnival has emerged with capacity to equal the success of Calabar Carnival as a major carnival on the African continent, especially if greater attention is given to re-appraising the whole organizational concept in terms of Media, marketing, contingents and other value-chains. Adding that carnivals and festivals are periods that unite young ones in the country despite background. He urged that beyond the entertainment, stakeholders needs to development of the concept to add value to participants.
The carnival was electrified with musical performance by the sensational hip-hop artistes, Oritsa Femi, who ignited the party mood with the performance of his popular hit song “Double wahala” and “Blessing of the Lord” that got the enthusiastic crowd on their feet.
Dignitaries at the carnival includes, the Carnival Queen, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, the first lady, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, Lagos State deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, Commissioner for Finance, Mr Ayo Gbeleyi, Establishment, Training and Pensions, Mrs Florence Oguntuashe, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Ademorin Kuye, Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, Special Adviser on Taxation and Revenue, Mr Abimbola Shodipo, and former Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Prince Ademola Adeniji Adele including members of the Local Organising Committee.
