Ekiti festival of arts, culture: Providing blueprint for Yoruba cultural rebirth

Those who were not born when Nigeria hosted the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 but read few reports about FESTAC 77 had a semblance of the fiesta held at two centres, (Lagos and Kaduna) in Ekiti State last week.

Contingents from different countries actively participated at the event from January 15 to February 12, 1977 and returned home with a good impression of Nigeria as a centre of the black arts and culture.

Last week in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, watching  contingents from each local government in their attractive colours dancing past the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and his wife, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi; Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Value Orientation, Aare Muyiwa Olumilua, and other top government functionaries during the opening ceremony of EkiFest brought back the FESTAC 77 memories.

Those troupes, which included associations and non-Ekiti communities, all resplendent in traditional attires, added value to the parade held inside the State Pavilion along Iyin Road. It was a show of music, chanting, dance and total exhibition of Ekiti cultural heritage. The carnival was age-blind with the old, middle age and little children featuring in one category of event or another.

No fewer than 1000 children from all parts of the state participated and featured in talent hunt, traditional dance competition, and lecture on preservation and promotion of the Yoruba culture and tradition.

The director-general of Nigerian National Troupe, Tar Ukor, used the talents he spotted in the participating children to teach them few things about dancing with a view to keeping in touch with their development as they advance in age.

“This man is so passionate about arts. I didn’t expect him to come out and teach these kids when he is supposed to be one of our guests here today. It shows that he is hungry for talents to boost his national troupe. I have heard about him but this is the first time I have seen him physically. He has impressed me with the way he is handling the children, and I know the children too are happy,” one who gave his name as Oni but declined his full identity told our correspondent at the Pavilion, the venue of the event.

The colourful exhibition seen by Governor Fayemi touched him so much that he, on the spot, announced the upgrade of the state’s Council of Arts and Culture to the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism. The announcement was greeted with ovation.

The governor said his decision was premised on the need for better synergy and integration to enhance the potential of creative practitioners and boost the internally generated revenue of Ekiti State and also consolidate the progress already made in the last year.

He also stated that Ekiti State cultural heritage keeps the memories alive of how beliefs and cultural expressions have contributed to the development of the society, saying that Ekiti is a state of rich artistic and cultural heritage and endowed with the abundance of talents.

Governor Fayemi further said that the riches of the state are well demonstrated through arts, dance, literature, music, food and folklore, and commended the efforts of the Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture towards the attainment of the target set for it.

Equally impressed by the results of months of preparation was the first lady, Erelu Adeleye-Fayemi, who doubled as the chairperson of the planning committee.

She was at every event alongside government officials, including the director-general of the council, Ambassador Wale Ojo-Lanre, whose synergy with the first lady since his appointment has given the council a new face.

According to the governor’s wife, the festival was designed towards the restoration of Yoruba core values as well as empowerment against the scourge of poverty, she noted that the Yoruba culture is a viable solution to several problems bedeviling the society.

She added: “It is in our culture to be diligent, honest and peace-loving. Our culture abhors laziness; our culture goes against the shirking of responsibilities. It is sad that exposure to foreign culture is taking a toll on our communal life, which encourages our bond system and cohesion. “Parents have the responsibility to ensure their children are not lost into foreign culture. As a government, we are also doing what we should do in that regard, and we are not going to relent until we achieve desired result so that posterity will speak good of us in the future.”

The opening day was rounded off inside Government House where Dr Wale Okediran’s movie was shown. Titled ‘Tenant of the House” and directed by Kunle Afolayan, the film is a socio-political commentary, and was watched by a patient audience inside Jibowu Hall.

When Erelu Adeleye-Fayemi was led into the hall, the man behind the projector waited no further to start the film which was also watched by some Nollywood artistes like Dele Odule and Yomi Fash Lanso.

A colloquium held inside Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort began the Day-2 of the festival and had Professor Patrick Oladele, Professor Rasaki Bakare, Dr Wale Okediran and others as resource persons.

Like Day-One which was closed with Dr Okediran’s film in the government House, Day-2 ended same way but with what was called command performance of a play in memory of the late Governor of the defunct Western Region, Colonel AdekunleFajuyi.

A large crowd of enthusiastic people converged on Fountain Hotel which hosted the stage play titled Fajuyigbe  and directed by Professor Bakare of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.

An online publisher, Mr Akeem Lasisi, awarded excellent grade to the cast and crew for reliving the life and times of the Yoruba hero in Colonel Fajuyi, who had the opportunity to escape death which walked into his apartment but chose to confront them.

“I have never watched live performance which tells the story of Fajuyi, a story we have read in different publications. I give it to the cast and crew for doing a wonderful job. The guy that interpreted T.Y. Danjuma made it so real.

“What we have seen today is a message that stage play should be returned. With the excitement I saw here today, people still want to see live shows,” he said.

Traditional games such as wrestling and others took the stage on the third day which was the closing ceremony. Both males and females took part in the games which brought back the old memories.

A veteran theatre practitioner, Chief Jimoh Aliu, expressed his delight at the turnout of the youths in an era of foreign football leagues, saying his dream of preserving the Yoruba cultural heritage is coming to realization in his life time.

The producer of Arelu series in the 80s urged parents to be unrelenting in ensuring their children show interest in Yoruba culture, warning that parents that ignore that call would live to see the failings at the end of the day.

“What is confusing many parents is that our culture is regarded as fetish and bad. This is not true. We are blessed with rich culture, and it is high time our pastors and imams stopped denigrating our culture.

“We are not saying Christians should not go to their churches and Muslims to mosques. What we say is that our culture should not be reduced to something which would not be attractive to our children. Chinese are making it today because of their preservation of their culture and tradition,” he said.

The festival afforded another theatre practitioner, Ojo Arowosafe, popularly known as Fadeyi Oloro, opportunity to show the world that he had overcome the sickness which almost took his life in the past eight months. Arowosafe starred in the stage play and received wild applause when he emerged from the backstage as a local hunter in charge of a town.

“I thank God and our governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for coming to my aid when I almost lost it. I thank the DG, Wale Ojo-Lanre, too for looking for me in my place. I am back on my feet. I thank everyone God used for my escape from the claw of death,” he noted.

In his overview of the festival, Ojo-Lanre affirmed the Ekiti people’s positive attitude to cultural renaissance described as economic diversification project. He expressed his unalloyed gratitude to Governor Fayemi and his wife for providing the means for the resuscitation of the council which has helped remove the state from what he called the blacklist of absentees at both local and international cultural festivals.

He also said Ekifest is a means through which the arts and culture council is promoting and sensitizing the younger ones on the role of culture in the society, adding that government and parents need to make the younger ones understand the import of the Yoruba culture and appreciate its values.

While drawing the curtain on the festival, Ojo-Lanre gave kudos to all the participants for their contributions to the success recorded.

He said, “We are grateful from the depth of our hearts as we continue to position Ekiti to the fore of cultural development of Nigeria. The next generation will be thankful for the restoration of our values and making them to see the new beginning of life in arts, culture and tourism.

“To all our support companies, hotels, kegite clubs, all cast of Ifajuyigbe stage play, sub-committees members, crew, managers of various departments, attendants and service providers, you are wonderful for believing in us. We hope to see you next year bigger and better.”