Skip to main content

Kaduna, the place to fish on a calabash

calabash fishing, never without my umbrella in the rainy season
calabash fishing, never without my umbrella in the rainy season
Kaduna is the largest city, roughly 2 million inhabitants, after Kano. It is essentially a trading hub for agricultural products. In the past there was a bit of industry. Peugeot had a factory up until a few years back. As a result there was a french international school, which still exists but has ceased to teach french at all.
It is two and half hour drive north of Abuja. A very smooth road at the moment which stretches past the Aso Rock where the presidential palace is located.
But road is not the only way to come to Kaduna. There is a small airport served by a few airlines, punctuality aside. And there is also a railway and rumours of a high-speed train between Abuja and Kaduna.
Kaduna State House of Assembly
Kaduna State House of Assembly
It has a renown university as a result of Kaduna's position as the capital of the north of Nigeria for a large part of the 20th century.
The city is also crossed by the Kaduna river where fishermen traditionally go fishing floating on the back of a huge calabash.
The city has very few landmarks besides a colonial building which was serving as the center of the british administration, it was created for Lord Lugard. It is now called the Kaduna State House of Assembly. There also a a large hotel from the 70s with arts and craft.
cleaning locally carved calabashes
cleaning locally carved calabashes

Kaduna has a museum under renovation at the moment (timing is unclear) and at the back a few craftsmen working silver and other metals. An old man is designing small stylized animals.
Kaduna has a large muslim population but christians are well represented too.
the workshop of the small metal animals
the workshop of the small metal animals

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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...