WHEN YOU LAST SAW A PARADE IN PERSON

EYO IGA_FAJI PARADE

PARADE! PARADE!PARADE!

IT WAS A GREAT EXCITEMENT ON THAT FAITHFUL DAY AT THE EYO FESTIVAL PARADE IN LAGOS, .  THE WORD “EYO’ REFERS TO THE COSTUMED DANCERS,KNOWN AS THE MASQUERADES,THAT COME OUT DURING THE FESTIVAL.

EYO IGA SASI PARADE

IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THE PLAY(PARADE)IS ONE OF THE MANIFESTATION OF THE CUSTOMARY AFRICAN REVELRY THAT SERVES AS THE FORERUNNER OF THE MODERN  CARNIVAL.

IGA JUMP PERFORMANCE

IT WAS A VERY EXCITING PARADE THAT EVERYBODY WANTED TO HAVE A GLIMPSE OF THE CARNIVAL ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY,THE MAIN HIGHWAY IN THE HEART OF THE CITY(FROM THE END OF THE CARTER BRIDGE,TINUBU SQUARE) WAS CLOSED FOR THE PROGRAM ALLOWING FOR PROCESSION OF  THE PROGRAM AT IGA IDUNGANRAN PALACE.

YOUNG EYO PERFORMERS

THE WHITE-CLAD EYO MASQUERADE REPRESENTS THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD,AND ARE REFERRED TO IN YORUBA AS “AGOGORO EYO”(LITERALLY: “TALL EYO”).

AGOGORO EYO STILT PERFORMER

ACCORDING TO HISTORY THE FIRST PROCESSION AND PARADE  IN LAGOS WAS ON THE 20TH FEBRUARY, 1854, TO COMMEMORATE THE LIFE OF THE OBA(KING) AFTER HEARING THE HISTORY AND WATCHING THE PROCESSION ,I WAS AS  HAPPY AS EVER THAT I ATTENDED THE PARADE.

JUST SEEING ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAME AND HOW BUSY IT WAS ,HOWEVER THAT WAS WHAT MY LAST PARADE WAS ALL ABOUT AND IT WAS ON THE 20TH OF FEBRUARY,WHAT ABOUT YOU,WHEN LAST DID YOU SEE A PARADE?