My Latest Experience Of The Mmanwu Festival...

_Pixabay

---

Every year, one of the highlights of the season here in the Eastern part of Nigeria is having to witness the Mmanwu festival. It is a masquerade festival, a day set aside where different masquerades will be presented. It is usually accompanied by lots of dancing and chanting. It is always full of fun.

It is considered to be an equivalent of the Igbo Christmas, many people even find it a more important reason to come home during the season than Christmas itself. And it is understandable. This has to do with tradition and culture, and it is something that we can trace to the past. It is our heritage.

This year, due to the security issues in our country, I had been scared the festival will not hold. Because due to the nature of the festival, it can get quite rowdy. The masquerades are usually followed by young men who are wielding machetes, cutlasses, and axes, there will be cannon shots multiple times. I was glad the festival was held anyway.

The Beginning!

The day actually started just like any other. With the sun rising in the east and shedding its glorious light on us all. But something else was different about the day, it could be felt in the air, the excitement that was heralding the Mmanwu festival. Everyone was looking forward to it and they were trying to get their affairs in order so they will have enough time to watch it.

_{Brett Sayles}

It was scheduled to start in the evening, so the people had the entire day to get ready. But get this, even before the event proper started, we were already seeing masquerades come out. They were walking about, their canes in the air as they pranced on the road, their followers meeting passersby to get money.

It was like a prelude to what was to come, and everyone could clearly see that.

The Event!

Anyway, the day went pretty well. I tried to do everything I had to do in record time so I would not miss a second of the festival. After all, it was for that reason I had gone to my village in the first place.

So now, let me tell you a bit about Mmanwu. The festival is never really long, it involves each village bringing out its masquerade and parading them to drums and chants. Then, other neighboring villages will do the same. And the climax will be when all masquerades meet in the same place at the market square. That is usually the moment people want to see.

I was still indoors when I heard the first cannon shot for the evening. I immediately came out of my house and hurried to the main road to watch the procession. I saw young boys, dressed in black, singing and dancing as they made beats with local musical instruments. Many of them were brandishing various weapons in the air.

These guys were not with the masquerade, they were more like the forerunners, preparing the people for the main dish. As they danced and sang, people cheered them on. Phones were already out and people began to record the moment. I got carried away and forgot that I was planning to take pictures.

Eventually though, the masquerades began to come out, to even more dancing and singing. People were cheering them on. It is always a wonder how they are able to move so fluidly with such a weight on top of them. But then, it is said that people who don the masquerade are not mere men. They are spirits, and it takes a lot to be able to wear such and come out unscathed.

_{The Masquerade here is called Ekpo. Couldn't get closer for a better shot, due to the crowd.}

However, this year, there was no meeting at the market square. Once each village presented its own masquerade, they left soon after. And as it began to get dark, people started to go home. I was one of them. The entire festival had taken about one hour.

And then…

Of course, not everyone went home. There were people around who were selling a lot of goodies, from catfish peppersoup to fried chicken and what have you. All the beer parlors and hotels in my village were filled up with guests, and people were settling down and having a good time, even after the festival was over.

I didn’t stay though. If I did, Sapa would have been on the opposite seat from me, smiling at me. So I just mellowed and made my way home to drink my chilled 7up.

God no go shame us.

I had a great time, although this year’s edition is not as fun as the last one I attended, it was still great all the same. I like the fact that we are still holding on to our cultures and traditions despite the effects of the western world.

Although these days, the masquerades have become a little bit more humane. In the past, people who attended such festivals were usually energetic and fit, because you would never know when you have to run! There were so many rules and guidelines when masquerades were concerned, but it was always interesting and what was usually done during those days was always a wonder.

And going forward, I don’t know what the future has in store for masquerades, but I do hope it is something great. Because I really enjoy watching them, I love watching their displays and I love listening to their chants. And every year, when they hold the festival, I would still attend provided I am in the vicinity.

I’m yet to see what will make me miss it.

_{Dom Gould}

---

---

_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, I would love to know what you are thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

---

_{Images that are not sourced are mine.}

---

_{You might have noticed the images were not clear, that is because they were screenshots from the videos I made. In that crowd, taking pictures was just impossible. I hope you were able to enjoy them like that. Thank you once again.}