Calabar Carnival: Street party, colourful costumes
Written by John Ighodaro
Wednesday, December 31, 2008

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A lady participant in the Calabar carnival walked into the Millenium Park in Calabar, Cross River State, all dressed up in red feathery costumes, adorned with wings, and she was looking like a giant butterfly that had somehow learned to walk like a human being.





Soon, members of her band began to gather round her in preparation for the Carnival Walk which would take them round parts of Calabar as part of the 2008, Calabar Carnival.

A little distance away, a trailer fitted with musical instruments was blaring out Duncan Martin’s Dance for Me. Soon the giant butterfly began to wriggle her waist to the sound of Dance for Me.

On the Calabar Carnival, Deputy Senate Leader, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba said: “It has become a signature event of Cross River State.” While the honourable Senator was making this remark, he was not in his usual French suit or English suit or in Efik attire.

No, he was dressed like an ancient Roman soldier, so he looked like a black Roman soldier who had leapt or jumped into the 21st century, appearing on December 28, 2008 on the streets of Calabar. Looking agile, he walked towards the magnificent fountain that was gushing up water at the Millenium Park roundabout.

A few minutes before Senator Ndoma Egba appeared at the scene, Governor Liyel Imoke had appeared in the arena to flag off the event, tagged: “Africa’s Biggest Street Party.” Senator Imoke wore a white Carnival T-shirt on a pair of brown trousers like a man going to a golf course. After declaring the event open, the carnival went into full swing. His Deputy, Barr. Efiok Cobham was in full carnival gear. He was all greened up in his Carnival garment and so were members of his band.

The Millenium Park was a beehive of activities: The place was crawling with security men, photographers, ice-cream vendors, spectators, participants in the carnival, trailers, buses and a red helicopter that was hovering and droning up there in the sky. Sometimes for a few seconds the helicopter would be stationary and then it would move on, circling the place and perhaps on the look out for trouble makers.

Six boys on roller skaters rolled past as they skillfully ran along avoiding and dodging humans, buses, and every obstacle on their way. Around the Millenium Park, colourful umbrellas were spread along the side of the road. Two or three persons sat under each umbrella selling all sorts of things ranging from soft drinks, liquor, cigarettes, pure water and others.

Further away from the road, were makeshift photo studios with colourful backgrounds and one could see individuals taking photos or haggling prices.

Suddenly from nowhere, a masquerade walked into the arena. He looked like the odd man there and soon attracted the anger of security men who shouted at him to express their disapproval at his appearance; for masquerades had their day on the 27th and this day was 28th.

Soon, an armed security man began to push the masquerade out of the arena with clear resolve and with all the indignity he could muster.

For a moment, the man behind the masquerade tried to resist the push, being unfamiliar with the present indignity to which he was being subjected. No one, however, needed to tell him that he was up against a security man who had no respect for masquerades and he soon began to respect himself and quietly allowed himself to be pushed out of the place and out of sight.

All participating bands were lined up for the famous trek around town which is the carnival proper.

Senator Florence Ita-Giwa was also there. She was arrayed in colourful bright red attire and so were members of her band. She and members of her band in their carnival gear looked like Native

Americans and she, like an Indian Chief. She smiled, she danced, she drew applause from appreciative onlookers.

Her band was followed by another which had a banner on which was written, “Bush on Fire.” This band also had men and women in it. While the men wore red shorts, the women were scantily clad and all wore heart-shaped caps.

The next group was “Street On Fire.” The members wore red vests and black trousers.

Another band with the name “Hell On Earth” appeared on the scene. They wore purple vests over black trousers. As they danced, the red helicopter again appeared in the sky. For a moment the helicopter remained on a spot in the sky, then it moved on.

Then came another band with the name, “Hunger on Earth.” The members were dressed in brown vests and trousers like the colour of the desert. After that was another band, which featured mostly women.

They were so scantily clad they looked like a band of Eves that have just been driven from the Garden of Eden. A man who introduced himself as David Isemin was not amused: “Why are they exposing themselves like this?” he murmured in indignation.

When questioned, the man who said he worked with UNICEM said: “I don’t like this exposure. Women should not be naked on the street. What they are putting on is not alright. They should be mindful of what they wear”.

The Biggest Street Party in Africa, however, was concluded late in the night at the U.J. Esuene Stadium with Passion 4 Band clinching the first position.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/dec/31/305.html

I watched the event on TV, it was really great.

@ Topic

Yeah it seems very colorful i must say. . .