Ogbomoso Ajilete carnival: Celebrating culture, music, development

Lovers of arts, entertainment and culture in the ancient city of Ogbomoso had started trooping into the popular Soun Sports Stadium in the city of the valiant long before the scheduled time for an epochal event; the football pitch and the spectators’ section of the township stadium had been filled to the brim early in the evening as eminent personalities, music lovers, cultural enthusiasts, sports fans, entertainment financiers and development inclined individuals watched the crowd in awe and amazement. The overall comment of the participants at the end of the event was “it is a ‘we-want-more’ carnival.”

The event, which held on December 26, 2019, was last year’s edition of the Ogbomoso Ajilete carnival, second of its kind in history. The edition was an improvement on the maiden edition which held at the same venue.

“Last year’s edition recorded a huge success and this year is no exception,” the chairman and convener of the event, Mr Akinwole Akinwale Wolekanle, an indigene of Ogbomoso, who believes in the development of the city stated.

There are, of course, different motives for staging a carnival at such festive periods; most carnivals of such nature is filled with diverse vices in an atmosphere permeated with marijuana smoke.

Against this backdrop, the convener of the arnival told Nigerian Tribune that the model of the carnival of his dreams for Ogbomoso indigenes is premised on promotion of the city’s rich cultural heritage, sports development and youth/women empowerment.

“The carnival is about bringing our youths together, developing and showcasing their talents and reconnecting those that have been far from home to their roots. It is also about promoting the arts and culture of Ogbomoso. So far, we have showcased Egungun as a cultural heritage here. We have watched two of them perform live. Ajomogbodo (the Egungun that sits without a stool or anything supporting it) and Danafojura (the one that thirsts for fire and comes out of it unscathed) really caught the attention of the indigenes of Ogbomoso who came to witness the event in amazement,” he stated.

Unarguably, the climax of the event was the brilliant and skillful performance of the guest artiste, Alhaji Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, who had arrived Ogbomoso about five hours before the show. The ovation with which he was ushered to the stage was high and in tandem with his one hour of uninterrupted performance which was electrifying to the extent that no one exhibited any sign of boredom.

The event did not go without musical presentations of Fuji icons from Ogbomoso; the audience also enjoyed the thrills and frills loaded in the performances of Alhaji Ramoni Akanni (RK1), Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde (K1 the Ovation) and Alhaji Mustau Alao  Ragamurphy. It was evident that cordiality exists between Pasuma and the trio of Ogbomoso-born Fuji exponents as the former constantly separately joined the trio on stage, dancing with them in excitement. Also from Ogbomoso, a hip hop singer, Olafimihan Oke known as Horkey Reign, spared no time to perform to the admiration of the audience. The event also had cultural presentations by theater groups.

The Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, during the event, charged all indigenes of Ogbomoso to seek the development of the land. He advised all monarchs in the zone to chart a path that would bring development to the zone. “We, the Kings, need to work in synergy to develop Ogbomoso zone so that we can be reckoned with in the scheme of things in the state, the nation and the global arena. The development of Ogbomoso zone transcends any form of supremacy battle among us,” he explained, expressing confidence that Ogbomoso is blessed in terms of human resources, entrepreneurship and business, noting that these could be harnessed to project Ogbomoso agenda.

He lauded the organisers of the carnival for the novel idea, stressing that the event has a huge potential in uniting and developing the zone. “The event will help us to display our potentials culturally, traditionally and business wise. I can say that the 2018 edition was good and that the 2019 edition was better. By next year, there will be a great improvement because some of us will use our influence and connections to promote the event beyond our zone. We will invite other kings beyond our zone. So, in essence, I’m saying that all our kings from the zone must come together and support this great initiative birthed and shouldered by our son, Wolekanle, and his team,” he concluded.

Also, in the cluster of performances and presentations by musicians, chanters and theatre groups, the messages of the development of  Ogbomoso was evident;  Alhaji Akanni RK1, in his music, made a clarion call to all Ogbomoso indigenes, home and in the Diaspora, to give back to their ancestral home and source. He highlighted, in his song, that the city was still in dire need of manufacturing companies that would develop its economy and provide skilled and unskilled jobs for the youth. He also charged the rich and wealthy to invest their resources for the growth of the ancient city.

In his characteristic manner, Chief Ojo Oluwatana, a chanter and radio presenter, preached the message of progress of Ogbomoso land. Others followed suit, with the addition on the need for youths to wake up and smell the coffee in terms of opportunities around them. There were also charges on why Ogbomoso indigenes should always think of what to give back to the community and not always relying on what it will give to them.

The secretary of the Ajilete Carnival Planning Committee, Mr Akin Alade, stressed the uniqueness of the event as not only to laugh and get entertained, but also to come together and plan for the future of the city.  “We are using the carnival as a unifying factor for Ogbomoso as an entity and an encouragement to Ogbomoso indigenes, home and in the Diaspora, to come back home and give back to their source in terms industrialisation. We will engage some individuals who are ready to promote our talented people. This event will be an avenue to connect with those in the Diaspora. On sports development, recently, we just inaugurated Ogbomoso Ajilete Football Club which will hopefully play in the Division 2 of our National League. We unveiled the team two week ago and the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) has granted us license.

“In terms of music, we have target of raising upcoming singers of any genre. Apart from Pasuma who is our guest artiste, we have our stars like Alhaji Ramoni Akanni RK1, Alhajj Wasiu Ayinde (K1 the Ovation), Alhaji Mustau Alao Ragamurphy, Yemi Melody, among others, to entertain and encourage the young upcoming singers, I mean the ones we have not even heard their names – some of them may still be in their secondary schools or higher institutions,” he said.

Asked on his dream for the annual carnival in subsequent editions, the convener expressed confidence that the carnival would, in future, rank among the comity of best festivals in the country.  He maintained that there has not been a major carnival unifying the five local government and seven local council development areas of the city in the past, expressing the hope that the carnival will develop to the level of Ojude Oba in Ijebu Ode, among other notable events in the country. He, however, opined that all hands must be on deck in order to achieve the set objectives of the carnival to facilitate the development of the town as a whole.

“Rome was not built in a day. We will achieve the goal we had set for the event and Ogbomoso as our home which is in dire need of improvement and development in many areas. This is our second edition of the carnival. By next year, we will bring King Wasiu Ayinde Kwam 1 and other notable artistes live on Ogbomoso soil. Our drive towards projecting our city is one that cannot be thwarted even amidst challenges. My committee has been working assiduously to take the show to greater heights and this will be achieved,” Akinwale explained.

While lauding the significant contributions of the steering committee of the carnival, veteran journalist, Mr Sayo Alagbe, stated that, “this is the best event so far in the recent history of our city, Ogbomoso, where massive crowd would converge on the soil not only for entertainment but also for the development of Ogbomoso land and its indigenes. The convener has many dreams for the city and I want to charge other well-meaning indigenes to emulate him and contribute their quotas in the development of Ogbomoso,” he said, emphasising that even beyond entertainment and sports, “Mr Akinwale has been giving scholarships, organising trainings and empowerment programmes for the indigent indigenes of the city.”

Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade; former chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government Area, Mr Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala; Agba Akin of Okin Apa kingdom, Chief Pekun Olaleye Amstrong; Onifalade of Falade, Chief John Adesina; Alhaji Bukola Badmus; Mr Ademola Olawale; Mr Abass Bayewumi; Mr Jide Aboderin; to mention a few dignitaries, were also in attendance.