Calabar carnival’s ‘exhausted creativity’ still colourful
The event which takes place every December 27th has gained fame and recognition over the years since its 1999 initiation by a former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke. An American visitor to the Carnival for the past three years, Sarafina Jamil, is here again for the carnival. She said “every visit to Calabar […]
The event which takes place every December 27th has gained fame and recognition over the years since its 1999 initiation by a former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke.
An American visitor to the Carnival for the past three years, Sarafina Jamil, is here again for the carnival. She said “every visit to Calabar is more ecstatic than the previous. Sometimes, I think they have exhausted all the creativity that there is considering the fact that the idea is still relatively new to Nigeria but I am slapped in the face when I see what the bands come up with on each outing. I was particularly carried away by the Seagulls last year and think I will go with them this year instead of my usual Bayside Band.”
Known for its elaborate glamour, colours, styles and aesthetics, the fiesta’s participants cut across all ages.
Described as Africa’s biggest street party, Calabar is all geared up to hold audiences, spectators as well as participants spellbound as the carnival party prepares to stake its way from the Millennium Park through Calabar Road to the Mary Slessor Avenue, down Marian Road up to MCC Road, towards Murtala Mohammed Highway to end at the U.J Esuene Stadium. The 12-kilometer carnival route is where the old and young, high and low will dance away until nightfall.
The participating bands are Freedom Band in their radiant yellow outfits, the Master Blaster Band in orange colour; the Seagulls Band in fiery red attires; the Bayside Band flaunt the blue shade, and the Passion 4 Band came in green.
The 2009 edition brought on new bands Apache Aliens and Diaspora Band, who put up performances alongside other non-competitive bands – Immigration Band, Civil Defense Band, Fire Service Band, Lions Club band and the Rhapsody Band.
Many like Nsikak Essien say they look forward to the competitive side of the celebration where they try to outdo one another in presentation and skills.
“I look forward to experiencing a real and well organised carnival unlike the just concluded Abuja street dance. The Calabar Carnival always makes up for the apology of that one. So it is good the way they are planned to take place,” Essien said
Last year, for the first time in its history, the Seagulls Band and Passion 4 Band had a tie win of first position as other bands and categories went away with handsome prizes.
In the children category, for the best overall band, Seagulls received N100, 000, while the Master Blaster band won N100, 000 for best Interpretation of the theme. For Best Reflection of Carnival Spirit, Seagulls won N100, 000, as the Bayside Band received N100, 000 for Best Creative Band, while the Best Junior King/Queen Seagulls got N500, 000.
In the senior category, Best King Nollywood’s Kalu Ikeagu of Seagulls got N1 million and for Band of the Year Passion 4 and Seagulls got N5 million each. In the Best Interpretation of the Theme category and Best Costume and make-up, Seagulls again won N1, million each, and Bayside Band received another N1 million for Best Band on the move. For Best Reflection of Carnival Spirit, Bayside received N2.5 million and for Best Float Passion 4 got N1 million.
Tagged ‘Our Strength and Resilience; the Bedrock of Our Future’, the cultural extravaganza is set to be a whole day’s affair which will culminate with the Carnival after the party.
It is also home to Nigeria’s second oldest secondary schools, Hope Waddell Training Institute, alma mata of Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe.
A destination known for its many attractions including great culinary skills, beautiful women and very pristine eco-friendly people and environment, the onetime capital of Nigeria is surrounded by great waterfalls, wild life parks, the Obudu Cattle Ranch and many more like them.