Nigeria has been celebrating the Yoruba tradition of Egungun, a traditional celebration of ancestors and the dead. Famous for its elaborate and colourful costumes, the event brought together festival goers from all over Africa.

Nigeria recently hosted the Egungun festival, a traditional Yoruba celebration honouring ancestors and the dead. The event is characterised by elaborate and colourful costumes, with masked figures dancing to the rhythm of drums in intricate ceremonies. Hundreds of participants from across East Africa gathered in Ibadan, Nigeria, to take part in the World Egungun Festival.

Festival goers wore distinctive Asoebi attire, representing their regions and showcasing a kaleidoscope of colour. Attendees included people from multiple areas, each with their own regional costumes. The festival served not only as a means to honour ancestors, but also as an expression of entertainment and dance in Yoruba culture.

Organisers expressed a hope that the festival would support the continuity of the Egungun tradition, which has been gradually disappearing in the region. The tradition continues to influence various aspects of East African culture, though some attendees noted that its cultural impact is sometimes overlooked. Following a successful second edition, plans are underway to make the World Egungun Festival an annual event to preserve this cultural heritage.



Dancing honors yoruba ancestors at the Egungun festival

To the rhythm of drums, these Egungun festival goers are celebrating their ancestors, taking centre stage in this Yoruba parade, masked figures, dance in intricate costumes, an elaborate ceremony to honour the dead. I learned from doing my research that Egungun is more than just about masquerade, it's more than an honouring of ancestors, it's also about entertainment, pure dance, there's nothing like it. In church we sing music, with Egungun it's a lot of dance. Hundreds of participants from across East Africa gathered in Ibadan, Nigeria, for the World Egungun Festival. The audience itself was a kaleidoscope of colour, as attendees wore their distinctive Asoebi attire to represent their region. Like I saw the people from Mugu state with their own attires and different colour, the people from Lekon state with their own Asoe state, even though the Benaripopi, the Benanua, came from different parts of the Benaripopi, with different attires. The festival hopes to encourage the continuity of this practice, which had been slowly disappearing in the region. The Egungun tradition continues to influence many facets of East African culture, even though its cultural significance is often under-appreciated. There are lots of styles that are really emulated from Egungun itself, but people refuse to give them their acknowledgement, they refuse to give them the accolades that they deserve, they refuse to attribute their creativity to Egungun, why not? After a successful second edition, the organisers plan to make it an annual event, preserving this unique cultural heritage for future generations.

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