let the year begin

electric cherry blossoms on New Year's eve

New Year's Eve at Bar Beach

On Dec31st,14, Bar Beach, the place where meagre horses can be hired to carry beach goers to the sea side on the south of Victoria Island, was busy with preparation for a big concert hosting several of the many nigerian celebrities like P-Square or D'banj, etc… The New Year's Eve concert would grace the ears of walkers-by going along Bar beach, made pedestrian area on the occasion. But obviously, a VIP area with a dedicated entrance next to the Eko Atlantic office needed to be there so that everyone could belong where one belonged.

shaking it on the asphalt

The good surprise was the happy mood of people coming to enjoy the music, shaking it on the asphalt and watching the firework fired from afar, somewhere on the edge on the upcoming Eko Atlantic city.

Bar Beach fireworks better watched on smartphones

fireworks are best watched on smartphones

the firework closing

stars, ladies and electric cherry blossoms

fireworks for everyone

Eko Atlantic

Eko Altantic, a future development of Lagos

Eko Atlantic, Nigeria's (future) new global city

Eko Atlantic is a project of a modern city due to rise above a vast area of reclaimed land, as the brochure explains, which a technical prowess because unlike the calm waters of Singapore where reclaiming land on the sea is a commonplace, the Atlantic ocean is fierce with strong waves eroding the coast of west Africa in many places. Therefore a giant 5km protection dubbed "the Great Wall of Lagos" had to be built.

For now the construction work is a vast area of sand but presales are well underway as the "grand vision is fast becoming a reality" for what will a new part of Lagos.

Comments

Egbe festival in Oyo: celebrating the duality of the living and the spirits

Ladies in pink from the northern procession The Yoruba traditional festival of Egbe Alaso Osun celebrates the celestial community of humanity a nd marks the communion of the world of the living and the “spiritual realm” (the world of the Spirits). During the day, celebrations consists in processions coming from two compounds and going to the palace of Alaafin before returning where they originated. The night before until early morning hours, sacrifices and offerings of food, among other things, are made throughout the town to feed the Spirits. We participated to a procession from the compound o f Ile Adedeji. The procession came from the North towards the palace of the Alaafin to pay him homage and it was joined by another one coming from the South. Both converged at the roundabout in front of the palace walls. The processions where essentially composed of women. The colour code of the southern one was pink while the northern one was blue and brown. ladies in blue from ...

The Ogiamien family in Benin City: about wood and history

Roland Ogiamien in his wood-carving workshop Wood Roland Ogiamien is a renown wood carver. He is now retired in his home town of Benin City and is now in his 80s. We met him in his simple workshop, a barn opened on the surrounding greenery. A part of the studio is used to store wood pieces and make sure they are well dried. He is using a collection of german ustensils to carve and polish the wood. He spent most of his career working out of Lagos before relocating to Benin. Roland was explaining that the wood he uses today is different that the one he worked on in his early days. Ebony has become rare and wood carvers have had to switch to other types of wood. Traditional heritage is a large part of his inspiration which he translates on wood with his own particular style, exploring various techniques for the finish of his pieces. Roland Ogiamien and two of his favourite masks History Ogiamien is the name of an important royal family in Benin Kingdom. Towards the end of the ...

the Alaafin of Oyo: the traditional ruler of the Yoruba

the Alaafin of Oyo and a few wives From the origin of the Yorubas to the Alaafin Olodumare is the name of the Supreme being in Yoruba language. He created the Universe and all divinities (Irunmole), to whom he had delegated His powers on the creation of the earth and the humanity. Obatala was the first divinity to be created and had the responsibility to complete the creation of the earth and to mold the humans. Obatala in turn created Oduduwa, who the first human being living on the earth and the progenitor of all Yorubas. Oduduwa had one son called Akanbi, who got several sons, the last of which, called Oranyan is the ancestor of the Alaafin of Oyo. The Alaafin of Oyo is the traditional ruler of all Yorubas as he is blood-related to Oduduwa. In contrast the Ooni of Ife is a priest in charge of serving Oduduwa by taking care of the left spiritual property. He is therefore a spiritual ruler of the Yorubas and not blood-related to the Yoruba progenitor. the...

Nigeria, the land of plenty

Search This Blog