Nigeria, the land of plenty

Kehinde and Taiwo dancing hand in hand Taiwo and Kehinde Olabode Ejiogbe: now and then Drums could be heard in a distance as we approached the open compound of the Ejiogbes. Two slender white-clad silhouettes, those of two Obatala followers, were dancing forward in our direction, sometimes hand in hand, sometimes not, but synchronised at all time. Taiwo and Kehinde Ejiogbe, the stone carver twins of Inisa, Osun state, were now greeting us and welcoming us in an open courtyard where a marquee had been arranged with rows of plastic chairs. Taiwo's simple lines I had met the Ejiogbe Twins about a year ago in Iragbiji and had bought some of their carvings which I still like very much. So it was natural to go and meet them again in their abode. The compound was decorated with the many stones carved by the Twins. Taiwo's works were displayed on the lawn separating the road from the house. Large pieces with an asiatic touch in the simplicity of lines of the carvings. ...

Osogbo, headgear of an Egungun Black shiny skulls top the colourful red-caped outfit of a human powered costume, the one of an Egungun which embodies the ancestral spirit of a family. The person in charge of giving life to the Egungun under that costume is at some point possessed by the spirit and fall into a trance while dancing at the beat of the drums. Egunguns are said to be unpredictable during their trance and possibly wild. However, in normal times, I have seen some keen to accept cash that they collect with their gloved hands. the guardian of the Egungun dancing at the palace of the Oba in Osogbo The costume is kept in a room and can have some additions or repairs over time but it is mostly a relic with some extremely old parts. Some charms are sewn over it and the face is replaced by a tightly woven net for the Egungun to see without being seen. Egunguns are always accompanied by a guardian who will follow them and dance with them. n...