Abuja Carnival welcomes all

The Katsina Troupe at a previous edition of the Carnival Photo: NEXT

Organisers of the Abuja Carnival have concluded plans to host this year’s edition, holding in the city from November 27 to 30. In related developments, industrialist Gabriel Igbinedion has been unveiled as the Grand Patron of the annual carnival. At his investiture in Abuja on October 19, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Abubakar Sadiq Muhammed, said the installation was “a very essential element” of the national carnival.

“We are not only very careful of how we choose a Grand Patron who is expected to provide support to the carnival, but we also hold the personality in great reverence,” said Muhammed. The minister added that the grand patron’s role is a two-pronged one: a call to service and an acknowledgement of service already rendered.

Igbinedion’s investiture followed the earlier unveiling of former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alfa Belgore, as ‘Father of the Carnival’. Speaking with the press, Artistic Director of the Abuja Carnival, Rasaki Ojo Bakare, shed light on the selection of patrons. He said the Abuja Carnival Management Committee had sought “people who are carnival-friendly, who love culture; and of course who have the resources (financial or moral, money or goodwill).” He described Igbinedion and Belgore as “people on whose image the carnival can ride to the private sector and get the kind of leverage and acceptance it needs to blossom.”

Among the activities planned for this year’s event, tagged ‘The Jubilee Carnival’ are: a Street Carnival (along an 18km route covering Abuja’s Area 1 to Area 10 all the way to Eagle Square); an Opening Ceremony holding at Eagle Square on November 27; Children’s Fiesta; Durbar, Cultural Night, Masquerade Fiesta and Boat Regatta.

Let the children come

Carnival secretariat has adopted a new approach the children’s programme. Bakare said, “For the first time, it’s going to be competitive. We’re not just going to pick kids from Abuja schools as before. Now, the states are coming, not just with adults – they are coming with their children as well.” This is a major departure from before, where selected kids from Abuja schools were rehearsed to represent the various states in non-competitive displays. “The carnival has been window dressing in that regard,” Bakare admitted. Now, it is all going to change, and children can compete for prizes, just like the adults from their states.

The carnival director defended the new competitive edge as regards children, saying, “If you don’t want me to make it competitive, there is no point allowing the states to spend money to bring the kids. We can as well go ahead with going to 15 secondary schools in Abuja, take their children, package dances for them, make noise and go. But because we want to give the thing a deeper meaning, let the children have the pleasure.”

Youngsters will compete for laurels in four categories including Traditional Chant. “This is an aspect of tradition that is dying out. As a well-rooted Yoruba man, I do Ijala, Rara and so on” – said Bakare, noting that children in most homes cannot even speak indigenous languages well these days, let alone chant. “We want children who are in these ‘ajebota’ schools to come and do traditional chants – it is a way of forcing them to acquire our traditions,” he affirmed.

Other competitive categories for children are: Oral poetry, Traditional Dance and Traditional Music. The welfare of participating children (who will also dance along the 18km route) is high on the agenda. While the adults will arrive in Abuja a week before the carnival to prepare their floats and perfect their routines, “the states will bring their children on the eve of their programme. After they are through, they can go back.”

Nature of carnival

Asked about unchanged activities from previous editions, Bakare took the opportunity to talk about the nature of carnival. “The nature of carnival as a brand, is different. You don’t change the content from year to year. Carnival is a street party. The carnival has its own nature, whether 100 years of independence or not, carnival is the same,” he declared. What changes, he explained, is the theme. “It is the theme that reflects what is happening currently in the country.” The Jubilee Carnival will therefore reflect the ‘Celebrate Nigeria at 50’ mood in the floats, costumes, designs and performances. “When the theme changes, the motifs change. You always see durbar, but it will not be the same durbar costume. It will not be the same way you dress your horse; the way you dress them now will reflect the theme of this year’s edition.”

The 2009 edition saw the introduction of Overall Prizes for the best three states in the displays, over and about the laurels in the individual categories. Bakare said this was intended to “define the colour of the competition, so the states will be more serious” to elevate carnival awards over the level of “tokenism”. A telecommunications giant that was to sponsor the Overall prizes last year, bailed out. Nonetheless, the best three states overall were rewarded by being recommended to represent Nigeria at different international festivals.

All in all, Rasaki Ojo Bakare promised that the 2010 Abuja Carnival will be bigger and better than ever. Seven countries including Trinidad and Tobago, India, Ghana and Egypt have confirmed their participation. Tourists are expected from all over the world, and the organisers have downplayed security concerns in the wake of the Independence Day bomb attacks in Abuja. Bakare insists his team is interfacing very actively with the security agencies to ensure the safety of carnival goers.

“What we should be doing now is to mobilise Nigerians. Let them know their carnival is here again. This is what you are expected to do as a Nigerian: come out and watch the proceedings.

Story courtesy Molara Wood via Next234.com