Nigeria, the land of plenty

Dancing away at Iya Osun's birthday Green, yellow, beige were the official colours of Iya Osun’s birthday celebrations at the Oba’s palace. Green oval patterns, that reminded one of the skeleton of a sphere, were printed on the cloth that was used for dresses and the hair gear, the gele. As we entered the Oba’s compound, a hundred meters away from the junction of Osogbo’s central mosque, talking drums were happily providing a swinging call for dances and occasionally a welcome call to newcomers, that could involve the spelling out of the guests' names, in the hope that money would be sprayed on the drummers: blessings are always meant to be rewarded. The celebration took place in the lower courtyard of the palace, next to the red walls of a shrine decorated with white, black and orange designs. the colourful shrine at the palace of the Oba of Osogbo As usual, marquees had been erected, in a corner, for people to seat and have food and dri...

a corner of the suspended lake on Ado Hill My eyes set on a diamond incrusted gold purse embossed with a dollar sign which was dangling around Otun's neck at the end of a gold chain. Were these real gold and real diamonds? I did not dare asking. Otun wore a very bright suit, a kaleidoscope of violet, green and orange. He also had a traditional dark pink and violet yoruba aso-oke hat, a necklace and a bracelet of deep red beads to mark his chieftaincy in Ado Awaye. Otun was the youngest of the three Chiefs who had gathered to greet us at the residence of the Alado (local king) of Ado Awaye, somewhere between Abeokuta and Iseyin in Ogun state. Otun's golden purse Aro, the second Chief, was dressed in a light blue traditional suit embroided with beige flowers and turquoise leaves, a yellow Yoruba hat and beige leather mocassins. Next to them sat the an older man with an impaired eye.  Balogun was wearing an ample green suit assorted to...

treacherous waters Opeyemi has driven his blue AX-100 okada (motorcycle) all the way from a nearby village to take part in the festivities dedicated to Oba, the spirit of the river, in the village of Ile Oba Alaafin . Oba was the wife of Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder, who was also married to Osun. A dispute between Osun and Oba led to the transformation of Oba into a river that was named after her and still flows next to the village of Ile Oba Alaafin. Since that tragic event, local residents of Ile Oba and their lineage are paying their homage every year to Oba by performing rituals during a particular night and, the next day, a procession to the river to bring food offerings and then proceed with dances. All the while, the children of the Oba clan will play in the water. Ile-Oba's children are familiar with the changing nature of the river and are good swimmers. First as babies, they have to stand the tes...

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...