Uhola: The Zuru Thanks-Giving Festival
Located in the South Eastern part of Kebbi State Zuru is one of the four Emirates in Kebbi State. With a population of about half a million, the Emirate comprises Local Governments Areas of Zuru, Fakai, Danko/Wasagu and Sakaba. The People of Azugru from where Zuru derived its name are among a few communities that […]
One of the most celebrated festivals of the Community is Uhola. In the language of Lel’na, the word “Uhola” means “he has prevented or protected”. Literally it is to celebrate that the Protector has prevented evils or calamities befalling the people. The celebration is done normally after harvest in the month of December through March. It is fundamentally a thanks giving festival to God for bumper harvest and prayers for more prosperity and good health to the people hoping for many prosperous years.
The significance of the festival is that it heralds the end of the planting season and the beginning of a new year. As the people of the area are known to be brave and apparently hardworking farmers, Agricultural show dominates the first of the three day celebration while other spectacular features of the festival such as the Yadato dance, wrestling competition, Golmo race, bicycle races and Archery competitions make the festival colourful.
The Celebrations of Uhola were added glamour by the Zuru Emirate in 1993. Uhola is thus celebrated between clans, a committee is normally set up to supervise and screen the best dancer, archer, Golmo dance runner and bicycle racer. At the finals, the best from the clans will come and complete. It is then the best in the Emirate will be chosen and be given prizes.
The Chairman of Uhola Committee and District Head of Ushe, Alhaji Muhammad Yawa Dankarma explained that the period is also during which C’lela boy or girl is made to undergo rites of passage from childhood to adulthood. After such performance of the rites a boy is admitted into Golmo -the stage preparatory to marriage. He said a boy who wants to marry is made to serve his in-laws for a period of five to seven years which has now been reduced to farming in the farms of in-laws for two consective years.
“When it comes to Uhola , one will dress up in a Golmo uniform. Normally a Golmo gentleman comes out with traditional attire without shoes and wears skin kilt to cover some parts of the body. He will be made to trek a distance of 10 to 15 Kilometers. Wherever he is going to do the farming he has to run and meet up with the time,” he said.
On the day of the festival, both boys and girls accompanied by a long procession of singers, drummers and well-wishers make for the head village of each community called “Ile”. During the procession, from farm settlement “C’bela” to traditional city all grievances are let out, usually through poetic undertones against bad behavior and or praises of valor and good behavior.
At the town square, after the invocation of gods for successful celebertaions by chief priests among priests of the clans, each teenage celebrant goes out first to pay homage to the Chief. Afterwards, celebrants show their skills in Golmo competition.
Wrestling contest also takes place at the festival where contestants from each community come to display their prowess. Traditionally Zuru locks horns with Pani community, Rumu versus Dabai/Rikoto; Shenchi versus Ushe, Ribah Versus Chonoko, Isgogo Versus Dago among others.
The females too are not left out in the Yadato – the final dance celebration before marriage. The events in the Uhola include merry making, music, songs, dance, wrestling, and exchange of gifts. After the undertaking of “Yadato” meaning the act of final dance a boy is qualified to begin Golmo that is the age grade preparatory to marriage. This is also the time a K’lela boy is initiated into M’gilla- manhood stage.
“In the past, girls were demanded to dance almost naked as proof of their virginity. It was then believed that any girl who could not do the “Yadato” dance during Uhola was either deflowered or stricken with venereal disease,” the chairman said.
The ceremonies begin from the residence of the boy/girl who is qualified for “Yadato”. Each celebrant selects his drummer “wane” who will extol his/her virtues and good character or that of their family. The family’s affluence is seen in colorful nature of the occasion as well as gifts distributed through display of affluence and expression of pleasantries with friends.
Equally, hunters too partake in dancing competition which is mainly mimed or in a dance drama showing how hunters operate in the bush to get a game. It also depicts the antics and crafts which informed the reason why archery has been entrenched as an essential part of Uhola to determine the best hunter that can aim at an object from a very far distance.
Another epoch making event is wrestling contest where celebrating communities participate. In the contest any person that knocks down his opponent by pressing his back on the ground is declared champion. The C’canga, S’geta, hev’sgomgomno are among various dancing competitions which depict body motion dexterity fused with music songs and rhythms.
As the festival is celebrated after harvest, the “Lelna” people do not forget to demonstrate farming skills. Threshing Dance (D’bii) is usually carried out by able bodied men mainly from Kyabo in Danko Chiefdom. The dance drama is made up of songs that portray the virtues of hard work, strength and skills in agricultural production.
The celebration has tremendous socio-economic impact on the lives of the communities. The historic celebration inherited from the ancestors is captured in the tourism aspect, revival and transmission of cultural heritage as well as the social integration among various communities of the Zuru people within and outside the state.
Part of efforts to improve the cultural festival is the inclusion of other tourist attraction sites like Isgogo Slave Market, the Girmache Shrine, Tar’d Wawanta in Rumu, the Zwin-Gorge Valley, Sem’d Gyozdne, the ancient town of Ukulu, Dombo Gomp Spring and Karishin Hills among others.
While people of Zuru remain resolute and ready to promote their culture for the world to see and appreciate, authorities in tourism sectors may look into the possibility of providing festival village and provide other needed facilities for the upgrading of such celebration to an International one.