Lagos: One dazzling Easter carnival

If you are a lover of carnivals, and   like the company of a creative and musical crowd, with good dancing feet, then you should have been in Lagos at Easter when the people of that lively Island were in their element and came out in thrilling costumes. They   wore stunning masks, tall hats, and coloured […]

If you are a lover of carnivals, and   like the company of a creative and musical crowd, with good dancing feet, then you should have been in Lagos at Easter when the people of that lively Island were in their element and came out in thrilling costumes. They   wore stunning masks, tall hats, and coloured caps, and there were the crown of feathers, and the face decorations which stunned with their rain bow colours .The Lagosians present were all filled with that matchless appetite for life and fun which is especially theirs. One carnival publication tries to explain this point by saying “only few cities come close to the fast tempo and bubbly nature of Lagos State.” This was the Easter Carnival in Lagos, which in the five years of its existence, is already making that city an important point on the West African cultural map, and this is so for both tourists and locals.
The sun shone brilliantly that morning, as though striving to take in the joyful events within the tiny human community far beneath. The procession left the Tafawa Balewa Square at about 9.45 am which was 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled time for its commencement. The participants walked the sunny streets of Victoria Island in large charming numbers, dancing and singing popular Yoruba and Nigerian songs as they moved along.
This is a carnival that won’t be forgotten in a long time, and its music still haunts many a mind. It can also be said that a carnival such as the one seen in Lagos on Easter Monday sooner or later had to emerge from the Lagos area. This is because of the rich cultural energy which Lagos is blessed with.The 2014 carnival booklet confirms this and states that “from the flamboyant ‘owambe’ parties and vivacious nightlife to the outlandish outfits, there is no doubt that Lagosians have a zest for partying hard.” The publication also draws attention to the waves of immigration which helped to populate the Island. It states that “each group of immigrants concentrated in the areas or quarters named after them. They also brought with them their various religious and diverse cultures including the carnival. All the elements of ethnic, religious and cultural differences have survived and become woven into the rich tapestry of the heritage of Lagosians.”
Effigies were a living part of the carnival, and a huge effigy said to be that of the Asiwaju of the carnival, heralded the junior carnival as it went in procession around Victoria Island. Behind this effigy were rows and rows of singing youths, who cut an unforgettable sight in their eyes catching costumes, and capacity to dance with zest and joy. Then there were the endless floats, of equally giant proportions, which captivated the huge crowd that lined the route. Akara sellers, and sellers of all sorts of items, had to leave their wares for a while, to absorb the marvelous sight. A Lady quickly saved some balls of akara which were on the verge of burning, her eyes still keenly following the happy crowd as she did so. Some of the dancing groups present were dressed to give the impression of insects. They had wings and a rather swollen mid-section, which was suggestive of a bee, in one instance.
One should also draw attention to the endless young children who danced along as part of the junior carnival. They exhibited an abundance of talent, which shows that the future is bright for the carnival in Lagos. The young ones revealed that they have, as a seed deep within their souls, all that it takes to keep a carnival culture alive. Then there was the majestic sight of the carnival Queen, which caught the attention of many. She was seated on something that looked like a carriage, and in front and behind this structure were men and women, perhaps her guards or aides, handsomely dressed in rather large bowler hats, coats, nice shoes and socks. There was so much of class, elegance and style, in the mode of dressing by this group.
It was nice to be alive just to witness this sophisticated sight. This was a 19th century setting that blended well with the modern, and it captured the sheer genius of the carnival organisers. Most of the performers were drawn from the many schools which make up five areas of Lagos, and countless officials were available to coordinate the movement of the large procession. There was water available for those who became thirsty, and a medical team was present throughout the duration of the carnival. Some of the officials present told Weekly Trust that it took the school pupils some one and a half months of constant rehearsals to prepare for the carnival for which they are all quite passionate.
The carnival booklet also sheds light on this where it states that “the costumes, which give the event its main character, receive enormous attention and take several months to prepare. Preparation involves dozens of gifted hands sketching, designing, redesigning, cutting and sewing all the fabric to be used. It also includes fabricating sails, headgears, backpacks, floats and effigies used by the various bands during the carnival procession”. There was an adult carnival too, which took a route different from that followed by the junior carnival. But both ended up at the Tafawa Balewa Square, meaning that large sections of the Island had a huge amount of entertainment on Easter Monday.
Because the carnival draws upon the rich heritage of Lagos, it “will be an avenue to establish new bonds for the many ethnic nationalities that live in the city “, says the carnival booklet. When you get to Lagos, very soon you come across ‘Lasgidi’, a remarkable concept. What does this mean? The carnival publication helps to explain:“Sometime around the 70s and early 80s, some Lagosians in the Diaspora considered the uniqueness of the state and crystallized it’s persona into a ‘funkified’ slang they called ‘Las Gidi’. Like the names of cities such as Las Vegas and Las Palmas, these Lagosians fondly referred to their home as ‘Las’ also… ‘Las Gidi ‘means ‘the authentic Lagos’ or ‘the original Lagos’. The work now asserts that “2014 carnival promises to be a real ‘Gidi’ show.” What was seen by many in Lagos on Easter Monday, an event powered by masks, effigies, costumes, dance and song, was an authentic Lagos event, a real  Gidi show.