Despite a few blips, the Ife International Festival of Arts holds, and parades a harvest colourful masquerades

By Ernest Omoarelojie/ Ile-Ife

For four days, the ancient town of Ile-Ife was the focal point of art lovers, as it hosted the Ife Festival of Arts. The event, which held between 8 and 13 April, was hosted by the Institute of Cultural Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, under the headship of Professor Ade Adesina.

In attendance were Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; musicologist and member of the British Empire, Peter Badejo. Representatives of China, the only international participants, came with a demonstration contingent because the Asian country could not bring the entire Dragon Ensemble for logistic and financial reasons. It was also gathered that the ensemble will be a major feature of the 2008 Olympics Games, which is to be hosted by Beijing, the Chinese capital. The absence of any widespread international colour was, however, compensated for by the display put together by masquerades from across the country. Among these were Tani fo ju ra from Shaki, Oyo State; Ekpe from Akwa Ibom; Olaifa from Imesi Ile in Osun State; Daman Troupe from Sokoto and another from Nasarawa.

Tani fo ju ra, which was dressed like a traditional hunter, strutted around the venue with its body aflame. The flames were kept burning with generous doses of kerosene to reeds pressed against the masquerade.

Adeleke Azeez, a member of the Oyo State contingent, told this medium that in the pre-colonial era, Tani foju ra led the town’s army against invaders. It was also employed to help cleanse the town of evil forces. However, its roles have now taken on a more ceremonial hue. According to Azeez, the masquerade now appears on 14 June, especially when the town’s traditional ruler is having a ceremony. Over the period, he disclosed, rather than the demonstrative fire witnessed at the Ife festivals, the masquerade is usually laden with raging flames from 9 am till midnight. “This masquerade will complain of cold if this is the kind of fire we put around him during the Shaki festival. There is no fire here because this is just a ceremonial outing. You will see real fire when it comes out during its 14 June outing in Shaki,” he explained.

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