Oranyan Festival 2017 held recently has further attested to the ancient town of Oyo’s place as home of Yoruba custom and tradition. It was the celebration of the progenitor of Oyo. TUNDE BUSARI who was at the event reports his findings.
Just three weeks after the successful Sango festival, another crowd-pulling culture event also held in the ancient town of Oyo in Oyo State.
It was Oranyan Festival, a carnival-like show in honour of Alaafin Oranmiyan who had a peculiar history of ruling in Oyo and later Benin Kingdom.
Beginning from September, the town again witnessed a variety of activities, all centred on the rejuvenation of Yoruba culture and heritage. The grand finale was held in the palace of the Alaafin, Oba Olayiwola Adeyemi.
The imposing billboard of a bottling company, which sponsored the Oranyan festival, welcomed the attendees into the venue. The board which was installed to advertise one of the company’s products complemented the aesthetic picture of the grand event and indeed elevated it beyond a local festival.
The gathering was treated to different cultural performances by masquerades such as Oya Ile Akiodi, Pekepeke and Mogba, which drew more applause doing some magical stunts that fascinated the people.
The Akunyungba performance by six wives of the Alaafin added more traditional spice to the event and further lent credence to the status of Oyo as home of Yoruba culture and tradition.
Led by Iyalepoto, who was said to be the second wife of the traditional ruler, the group clad in all-white attire, played ancient instruments like calabash and simultaneously rendered the panegyrics of their husband to the amazement of the crowd, which spontaneously responded with thunderous applause to the rendition.
Also appreciated with naira notes by impressed guests, the wives also chorused different names and sobriquets of Alaafin to the point that Oba Adeyemi walked onto them in the middle of the field and observed brief silent supplication, after which he dropped some money and returned to his seat.
One of the Alaafin’s daughters, Aminat Adeyemi, could not hold back the feelings as she walked to the spot, picked microphone from Iyalepoto and also displayed her talent in the art, a spectacle that moved the Alaafin to walk onto them in the company of his aides.
Another daughter of Oba Adeyemi identified simply as Arewa Omoba shed light on the queens’ performance on the standpoint of awakening the spirit of the Alaafin’s predecessors on the throne, particular Oranyan. The Omoba, whose Arewa Cultural Festival holds in October 15 in Oyo, said no one does the panegyrics of her father better than the wives who assumingly know him inside out.
To demonstrate her emotional connection with the songs for Oba Adeyemi, Omoba was shuttling between the singing wives and other assignments at the venue of the Oranyan festival, saying she was only performing her duty as princess who is entrenched in Yoruba culture and tradition.
“The performance of the Oloris was in accordance with the tradition being the closest persons to the Alaafin. That is how it is done during occasions like this we are doing. I organized the first edition five years ago to set the ball rolling because my lie is all about promotion of our culture through my Omoba House of Culture which is known for its antecedent.
“In Oyo, we are true pace-setters because the history even favours us. Yoruba spoken in Oyo is the standard and most accepted Yoruba which other Yoruba dialects have also speak. I am happy that we are keeping the flag flying but asking government to show more than passive interest in showcasing our rich, very rich cultural heritage,” Omoba remarked.
The retired Archbishop Emeritus of Methodist Church, Ilesa, Ayo Ladigbolu caught many visitors who had never seen him unawares as he conveniently swapped role occasionally joining the official comperes in announcing the items of the event.
Ladigbolu it was who announced the wearing of Ade Sesefun by the Alaafin. Ade Sesefun, according to Ladigbolu, who doubled as a member of the organizing committee,was worn seven times in 120 years by the past Alaafin, a confirmation that Oba Adeyemi never adorned the special white cone-shaped crown.
After the announcement, the Alaafin retired into a room in the palace where he put on the crown. The atmosphere then changed with everyone anxious to see the crown on him for the first time.
Security personnel had their patience overstretched controlling the surging spectatorswho were struggling to position themselves well to have a clear view of the crown.
Oba Adeyemi minutes later emerged amidst heavy drums. Sandwiched in both sides by his wives, he took a procession round the open field after which he returned to the palace and emerged in different attire.
The Founder of Olokun Festival, Otunba Gani Adams sang the praise of the Alaafin for his cultural renaissance effort, urging him not to relent on his oars and remaining the symbol of the best Yoruba culture. Adams expressed his delight at the Oranyan festival and its organization just as he further admonished the Alaafin to do all within his influence to package Oyo to the UNESCO as an important ancient town of Yoruba culture.
He recalled the role of Oranmiyan in history as one who ruled Oyo and Benin, a feat unequalled by no other traditional ruler. Adams added that Oranmiyan brought civilization to human race and also made the Yorubas proud.
“So organizing festival in his memory is a worthy cause every Yoruba should be proud of. The tourism potential of this Oranyan festival cannot just be over-emphasized because when we arrived last night I know the number of guests that lodged at different hotels in the town. This is economic advantage of this Oranyan festival for which the Olokun Festival Foundation campaign,” he said.
The Onikoyi-Abesan of Port-Novo, Oba YekeenSanni led others from Republic of Benin to the event, urging the Yorubas to preserve their culture and sharing his personal experience on the value of Yoruba language in particular in American countries.
“Our language is important to us. It is the means of our identity among other ethnic group. So, we must start from there. We must not allow the language to die. I have travelled to other countries and see how important Yoruba Language is to those people. They teach it in the US, Brazil, Cuba and other countries. It is like those countries know what we don’t know about our language.
“I am using this opportunity to call on traditional rulers to take a lead in rescuing our language from the impending danger. From my end, I am doing all within my power to ensure I am counted among those who insist Yoruba Language must be spoken and spoken well as a means of communication both in the private and public,” he said.
The Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Frederick Akinruntan and the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba AdejimiAdu-Alagbado, were among traditional rulers from Nigeria at the event, while the Olu of Ilaro, Oba KehindeOlugbenle, sent a delegation.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, AbimbolaKolade stood in for the Oyo State Governor, AbiolaAjimobi and delivered the governor’s goodwill message. He said the state government would not leave any stone unturned in giving support to efforts geared towards reviving culture and tradition, especially at a time the nation is passing through low price of oil.
The commissioner described the Alaafin as the father of custom given his usual display of Yoruba culture both at home and during his visit abroad.
“Oyo State government is mindful of how Baba Alaafin makes the Yorubas proud at public gatherings with his deep and robust presentations that assert the intellectual capacity of Yoruba people. I am assuring you, baba, that Oyo State Government will continue to encourage event like this Oranyan Festival,” he said.
Oba Adeyemi also extolled the virtue of the commissioner whom, he told the gathering, had demonstrated his high sense of culture right from his first term in office. He said Ade sesefun is more than what the audience saw because of its history of public appearance. The crown, he revealed, is not kept in the palace, meaning that the Alaafin does not have access to it, adding its spiritual value is as it was in the days of his predecessors.
“Wearing it today is very symbolic in my over forty years on the throne, and I am most delighted it was successful. There is nothing we should spare to showcase our culture and tradition to the younger generation to know the real value of Yoruba race. It is on this note I am calling on the youth to join the old in our efforts,” he said.
Bishop Ladigbolu broke down the chronology of the crown thus: “The AlaafinAtiba wore it once. Ladigbolu wore it three times. The Alaafin Ladigbolu reigned for 33 years. Adeyemi (I) wore it two times. Adeyemi (II) could not wear it in his near 10 years reign. The Ikubabayeye is wearing it today. Aren’t we lucky to be around to witness it?” He stated.
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