The thrills of Ijala Are Ode Cultural Festival 2022

THE grand finale of the 2022 edition of the Ijala Are Ode Cultural Festival has classically showcased the importance of cultural renaissance as it relates to the day-to-day activities of the people, especially the hunter guilds who have preserved and promoted the uniqueness of Ijala till date.

The three-day event, which started on November 24 and ended on November 26, 2022 was an experience to behold as it featured the revered cultural values of Ijala; showcasing its entertainment, educative and socio-economic values, especially political relevance at keeping those in power on their toes on good governance.

This played out during the ijala competition where eight contestants competed through their inspirational ijala chant which touched every area of human endeavor.

The performance ranged from praise singing, hunting history, highlighting societal ills to calling on the government to see tourism as one of the ways to preserve the eroding Yoruba cultural heritage, while promoting it for the benefit of the people and the economy.

The contestants who came out one after the other decked in their hunting regalia thrilled the audience at the Ilaji sports pitch to their different ijala chants and dance steps to the talking drums.

The Ijala cultural festival which rallies people from all spheres of life was also a platform that called for cultural rebirth, calling not only for the need to preserve the nation’s cultural pride but also for prompt promotion of the Ijala Are Ode among the new generation so that the cultural content can be upheld for posterity.

The Ijala Are Ode fiesta saw Ajiboye Taiwo from Eripa emerging as the winner of the contest while Oluseyi Omo Ode from Oyo and Oguntade Omo ode from Ogbomoso came second and third runners up respectively.

Speaking at the event, one of the special guests, former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who was elated with the cultural fiesta, thanked the organiser for making the event a reality, promising to always keep a date with subsequent editions.

Also, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, in an interview at the sideline of the event said the state government is proud of the cultural potentialities that abound in the state and efforts are on ground to see that tourism gets its rightful place in the scheme of things.

“The Ijala Are Ode Cultural Festival is a revered socio-cultural fiesta that must be preserved and promoted with pride and I am happy that we have people keeping the content of the culture alive for generations to come,” he said.

Also the Curator of the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Mrs Oriyomi Otuka, who was at the grand finale of the Ijala Are Ode Cultural Festival, commended the organizers for making the event a reality and also thanked the Oyo State government for standing by the organisers.

“There is no other way to promote our culture than what we are doing here today. This platform will avail the adventurous youths to see, feel and embrace the rich culture and give them a sense of belong to appreciate the beauty of the Yoruba culture and carry on from where their forebear stopped.

Otuka advised the organisers to try to host the next edition of the event in a more accessible place that will attract the right crowd and promoters.