Magic, Thunder as Tourists Storm Oyo for Sango Festival “Sango is known in over 42 countries in the world such as Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, America, Trinidad and Tobago and so on. Already, Brazil has recognised Sango as their heritage. Oyo is the origin. So, they have to preserve the origin and heritage in Oyo; otherwise, tomorrow you have to go and see your culture outside the country” – Dr. Paula Gomes, Cultural Ambassador to Alaafin of Oyo The second edition of the World Sango Festival, held at the palace of Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo State, has come and gone, but the event will remain fresh in the memories of the local and international participants for a long time. The festival, which kicked off on Thursday, August 21 and ended on Saturday, August 30, 2014, was declared open by the Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo. The Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, was the chief host. The first edition of the festival was in August 2013. The festival has been in existence for many centuries, but Daily Sun learnt that it was enhanced in 2013 to facilitate an annual home-coming avenue for Yoruba descents in the Diaspora as a form of pilgrimage. Also, the festival was put together to reconnect and foster the relationship between the teaming population of Yoruba origin in the Diaspora, celebrate the greatest hero of significance of Yoruba race, appreciate the cultural heritage of Oyo and celebrate the rich cultural values of Yoruba such as dance, drumming, food, fashion and the indigenous knowledge. The festival was organised to celebrate Alaafin Sango. The third Alaafin of Oyo, who was said to have reigned around 1077AD, had supernatural powers and retained the energy from thunder. Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder, is a deity highly revered by the Yoruba nation. A day after the opening ceremony, the festival featured Ogun Ajobo Day, in which traditional groups from Oyo Zone Cultural Group; Olode Cultural Display from Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun and Kwara States paraded from Owode in Oyo town to the palace of Alaafin. Also, a night party – Aisun Koso, was held same day. The third day, a Friday, was declared Sango Obakoso Day. Several traditional cultural displays by the Igunu and Omolulu took the centre stage. The shrine of Sango Koso was officially re-opened on Saturday and the day later featured live performance by members of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) and a night party for Oya Okenira. On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the festival featured Oyo State and Oya Day, Aje Oloja Day, Sango Oyo Day, Osun State Day and Iyemonja Day, Esin Elejo Day as well as Kwara State Day respectively. At the grand finale, held on Saturday, August 30, Elegun Sango from Oyo, Ekiti, Ede, Ibadan, Ajagba and Koso entertained the participants with brilliant display of magical powers. The appearance of each of the Elegun Sango frightened a lot of people at the festival. They plaited their hairs and their eyes were bloodshot as they menacingly brandished their typical axes called “Ose.” All their followers also plaited their hairs and wore red attires. Oyo, Ekiti, Ede, Ibadan, Ajagba and Koso One of the Elegun Sango showed a small calabash containing lightly wet sand to the participants and covered it with red clothes. By the time he opened it, maize had grown from the calabash. Another one brought a small gourd, placed it on the ground and invited a volunteer from the audience to break it. The volunteer forcefully marched the gourd with his right leg and candies were found in it. The candies were distributed to some of the participants. Also, each of the Elegun Sango engaged in dangerous display such as stabbing themselves with knives in the stomach, cutting their necks with razors, inserting nails in their nostrils and so on. There was no blood or any scar when they removed the knives and the dangerous, sharp objects. The Elegun Sango Koso Alaafin, Chief Sangodele Ibuowo, was the last to appear on the stage at the grand finale. He had gone round Oyo township, praying for people, before coming to the palace. He greeted the people and went to Iya Ilekoto before leaving the palace. The Cultural Ambassador to Alaafin, Dr. Paula Gomes, a Portuguese who has been living in Aafin Oyo for the past five years, told Daily Sun that Sango festival has been in existence for almost 1,000 years. The 10-day festival, she said, has to do with the crown of Alaafin: “For Alaafin to become a king, he has to wear the crown of Sango in Koso. So, without Sango, there is no Alaafin and without Alaafin, there is no Oyo. Before you can choose Alaafin and crown him, he must wear the crown of Sango. This will be done at the main shrine of Sango in Koso. “The crown of Sango gives Alaafin the authority to rule from the old Oyo Empire to the present Oyo. It is a heritage. We want to preserve the heritage and give it colour. Then, people will know that the culture exists. It is not a carnival. It is not a theatre. It is really a heritage.” But why is it a taboo for the Elegun Sango of Koso and Alaafin to see each other face-to-face? Gomes answered: “It is a taboo for Alaafin to see him because he represents the energy of Sango and Sango is father for Alaafin. Alaafin represents Sango as well. So, Sango cannot bow for Alaafin and Alaafin cannot bow for Sango. It is like they are one. So, once in a year when the traditional rites are being done for the crown of Alaafin, the Elegun Sango of Koso must come out on the last day. He would go round the town to bless people. Then, he would go to the palace. “When he is coming to the palace, Alaafin has to go inside. He must not see the Elegun Sango because it is a taboo. Also, it is taboo for Alaafin to go back to Koso after he has been crowned. Koso is where the main shrine of Sango is located.” But Gomes has a warning for the Yoruba nation: “Sango is known in over 42 countries in the world such as Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, America, Trinidad and Tobago and so on. Already, Brazil has recognised Sango as their heritage. Oyo is the origin. So, they have to preserve the origin and heritage in Oyo; otherwise, tomorrow you have to go and see your culture outside the country.” Mbanefo commended Alaafin and his subjects for keeping the Sango Festival alive: “Festivals bring back our past history and celebrate our culture and tradition, boost our knowledge in history, while creating wealth and employment for the people. Therefore, it is high time Nigerians woke up and appreciate our tourist potential, culture and traditions, and explore them to enable us benefit from the goodies of tourism like many other nations of the world. “Nigeria’s cultural heritage is woven from threads of history and diversity, legend and conquest. Tourists visiting the country will gain insights into a glorious past as well as a promising future, set amid the natural beauty of this diverse country. “From rain forests in the South, broad savannah woodlands in the centre to a semi-desert region in the North, Nigeria offers a remarkable range of physical beauty in her land and hospitality of her people, ready to be enjoyed by the tourist fortunate enough to choose this land of ancient empires as their travel destination.” Mbanefo noted that the country could rake in a lot of money from the symbolic representations of peoples’ values, identity and heritage. She enjoined relevant stakeholders to support the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to transform the symbolic representations to tourism assets. Oba Adeyemi who commended Mbanefo for her efforts geared towards the promotion of culture and tourism in the country, described her as a model for public office holders: “I have keenly observed your activities since you assumed office as the Director General of NTDC over a year ago, and I can say unequivocally that you have done so well. Having followed your strides and acts as the NTDC boss, I realise that you are a passionate lady who is determined to achieve where your predecessors had failed. You are on the right frame. “It is very commendable that Mbanefo matches her words with deeds. She envisioned domestic tourism and here she is, attending Sango Festival. She was in Ile- Ife for Olokun Festival and in Idanre for Mare Festival and she will be leaving for Osun Osogbo Festival. Thus, so far, she has displayed a robust sense of responsibility at her duty post. I commend you, Sally Mbanefo, on behalf of the Oyo Mesi (kingmakers) and the entire people of Oyo. “Sango, as a phenomenon, is deeply tied to the cultural survival of identity of the Yoruba people. Today, the World Sango festival is a cultural festival that seeks to harness and cement the global popularity of Sango and other Orisas (idols) that are connected to Sango in Yorubaland and around the globe. to the cultural survival of identity of the “Alaafin Sango, the third Alaafin of Oyo, till today is a principal factor in the creation and expansion of Oyo Empire as well as survival and diffusion of the rich cultural values that are now widespread across the world. He reigned around 1077AD and through his ingénue supernatural powers inherently imbued in him, Oyo Empire became one of the most formidable empires in the forest of West African coast; spreading the culture of Oyo far from the boundaries as the empire stretched from South-West Nigeria through Benin Republic, Togo into Ashanti in Ghana. “Apart from these political achievements, Alaafin Sango’s spiritual crown has been the only traditional crown for all Alaafin, which installs in them traditional power and authority to head the Yorubaland both politically and spiritually.” But what does Alaafin love most about Sango? He answered: “My subjects will greet me ‘Kabiyesi.’ This means ‘who dares challenge thy authority.’ This is what I love most about Sango. Who dares challenge him? To the best of my knowledge, the only internal vehicle that has kept Yoruba culture till today is Sango. “To become Alaafin of Oyo, the custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, one must undergo spiritual processes of Sango and after all, wear Sango’s crown as a symbol of authority and spirituality. All these till date confer on all Alaafin the energy of Sango. So, by virtue of Orisa, a descendant of Sango is preserving the heritage of Sango till today.” The Aare Isese of Oyo Empire, Chief Fatokun Jayeola, said: “The king is the custodian of culture. So, with this festival, the Yoruba culture and tradition will not go into extinction. God created Sango a human being, but He, God, gave him extraordinary powers; the powers are both corrective and destructive. “If somebody steals, Sango will find the person out and punish him or her with death. Also, if you pray to Sango to give you wealth, wife and children, he will give them to you like other idols.” Chief Oke Adejare Adisa is the chairman, Asa Orisa Cultural Association to the Alaafin Oyo. He said the festival has been in existence before he was born and that it was a thing of joy to him that Sango is being worshipped in 42 countries. The international recognition for Sango, according to him, necessitated the reason for the enhancement of Sango festival to the World Sango Festival to let the world know that Oyo is the Origin of Sango: “Sango was Alaafin in Oyo Ile. We have been promoting the festival so that our culture and tradition will not die. Yoruba is the only language that we can use to worship Sango.” One of the participants from Brazil, Yia Lucia Omidewa, told Daily Sun that she was excited to be part of this year’s festival, saying her experience at the annual programme was unprecedented. She promised that she would also come for the World Sango Festival in 2015.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 08:14:23 +0000
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