Town where men dress-up like women once a year
In Owo, the Oba begins to dance as he does during every Igogo festival. There are men who turn up wearing braids and wigs and the atmosphere is floral and feminine -it’s all in honour of the goddess who lived among them long ago. The Oba emerges from the palace wearing a red gown made […]
In Owo, the Oba begins to dance as he does during every Igogo festival. There are men who turn up wearing braids and wigs and the atmosphere is floral and feminine -it’s all in honour of the goddess who lived among them long ago.
The Oba emerges from the palace wearing a red gown made of beads and his hair, which has a rich sprinkling of grey, has been simply but richly plaited. The sun seems to like him and its rays fall gently highlighting his colours and his being. A huge crowd is present, and we have been waiting since morning. His arrival has a stirring, uplifting impact on all of us .The overall effect is beautiful, even stunning and the radiant sunshine crowns his entrance, enriching the many colours and bringing life to the crowd. From time to time he dances a regal dance and beats a gong which he carries. Some senior chiefs escort him and they hold him as he moves, one on each side of him .They release their hold when he turns to dance, returning to grip him when he resumes this very royal, very noble walk. The young men who arrive carrying huge white parasols take their positions and the Oba is soon beneath the parasols as he makes his way outside. The sweet music of the gongs encircles us and it is an unforgettable sound. The crowd made up of visitors, tourists and locals escorts the Oba. These are the last three days of the annual Igogo festival which lasts seventeen days, and the townspeople are filled with joy and the men do their hair just as women would, and they wear wrappers too. They use wigs, the popular weave on, and apply all the multicoloured fashion accessories which women often use. The Igogo festival resurrects the Gerewol performance of the Fulani, which holds near Agades in Niger republic, a performance which is a beauty pageant carried out by males who beautify themselves in an effort to attract the female Igogo is not about attracting the female, but people do fall in love and get married. The Gerewol performance, like Igogo, is also in honour of a goddess. This latter takes place in a dry desert- like setting, while Igogo unfolds in a wet forested region.
A few musicians at Owo resemble women, but when you look closely you notice that these are men who have dressed up as women .There is an attempt at imitation or make believe during this festival. Theatre aids the ritual theme which runs through the festival. One of the many chiefs who is very tall wears a long dress and his hair is full of eye catching accessories. He smiles and dances and turns and bends. The women also come out in their best attire and they make their hair in very nice, elegant ways. Everyone wants to dress well and look good at this time of the year, and the people are all clad in white .There is a carnival like atmosphere in the town and the dancing Olowo of Owo, Oba David Olateru- Olagbegi is the main focus of attention, especially during the last three days of the festival.
The Igogo festival, also known as the love festival, is in honour of Oronsen, a goddess who once lived among the people and was the favourite wife of Oba Rerengenjen, the ninth Olowo of Owo. Dada Olaoluwa, Chief Museum Education Officer, National Museum Owo, comments “Igogo is a ritual of sorts put in place by the wife of the ninth Olowo of Owo, Oba Rerengenjen. The legend is that the Olowo was a hunter. When he went hunting he came across a woman who was believed to be part spirit and part human. It was said that the Olowo was a lover of beauty, and he made advances to the woman who agreed to be his wife. The woman came to the palace and mentioned taboos which must not be broken. But these were deliberately broken by the co wives .She left the palace and refused to return. The message she gave the Oba was that each year the Oba must organise an event in her honour. He will plait his hair, wear a beaded gown, and no drum will be beaten during the period of the festival. All this is aimed at appeasing Oronsen who was expelled from the palace.”
Olaoluwa adds “At that time it was forbidden to beat any drum. Rather, it was the gong or Agogo that was to be beaten. The Owo variant of Agogo is Igogo, and this is why it is called Igogo festival. This also means that it is a festival in which the gong (Igogo) is the principal musical instrument that is used .Even in the town the membranous drum must not be beaten. All the men and the chiefs will have to impersonate or imitate women in the way they dress, in the way they do their hair, and they must wear female attire, these being the blouse and skirt to appease the spirit of Oronsen. Igogo festival is simply a reenactment of the story of Oronsen, the goddess who swiftly became the favourite wife of Oba Rerengenjen.”
He explains that plans are underway to draw attention to the festival “There is an effort in place to list this palace on the monuments list in the country. I don’t know what is happening between the local government and the state, because before the federal government can come in and enlist it as a national monument, the state and the local government must have done their own part. If that is done, the name of the palace on the monuments list will go viral, and everybody will see it all over. More publicity can be made about this festival, and radio jingles and the internet can be significant in this regard. This was done at Osogbo, and later the site emerged as a world heritage site. There should be more publicity to let people know what our people cherish at this time of the year. Making this palace a national monument is part of the process of drawing attention to the festival. “He states that the Igogo festival is also a moment when tailors and those who sell fabrics in Owo make a lot of money. Individuals in the hotel business as well as transporters and restaurateurs, also make gains at this time when men turn to break the normal cycle of their lives, appearing much more colourful for a few dazzling hours each September .