The Festival of Arts and Culture was staged in Nigeria in 1977 and tagged FESTAC '77. I was eleven years old then, and have grown up to hear people making comments about the 'sins of FESTAC'. Can someone please tell what this means. Methink the festical was organised to promote our culture and this was done in good faith. Please, what are the 'sins of FESTAC?

sins in what sense?

i dont understand either.

Used to hear this rumour then:
Festac'77 is of the devil and that 9ja is still paying for those sins.Idol worshipping and stuffs like dat.He claimed the festival was aimed at promoting African voo-doo and that God is still annoyed with us,reason why we are still suffering.  rofl
NOTE:the worlds first black arts festival was held in Dakar in 1966.wonder if God is annoyed with them and punishing them too?
I think Festac town got developed during and after the festival,sadly today,Festac town is known to be a haven for 419ers.

I remember hearing and watching a documentary about festac77 at an excursion to the National Theatre. It was a long time ago (around 1997/98 i think) but they were talking about festac77 being important to the building, and the architecture being an impression of general gowon's hat and i don't remember the rest lol

Tony Akowe of The Nation newspaper of today partly answered my question in his article, Did FESTAC 77 lure us into idolatory? He quoted the President of ECWA, Rev. Anthony Farinto to have said that "there is no way the Nigerian nation can move forward except allNigerias, irrespective of their religious belief come toegether and ask God for forgiveness for the hosting of Festac 77, which was a way of neglecting God and turning to idol worship" According to Rev. Farinto, "God blessed this nation. After blessing us, we realised that it was time to remember our idols and turn to our ancestors"

I think the crux of the matter is the gathering of 'black artefacts' and attendant accompanying 'black spirits' that was the hallmark of Festac 77. If that be the case, we truly need to appease God and ask for forgiveness. Could someone beckon on General Gowon of the Nigeria Pray, to lead us, please.

[img]http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:YLiCZ1uSTsL2jM:http://www.webafriqa.net/images/ife-festac-mask.jpg[/img]

^ symbol of festac77. i don't see anything demonic abt "nigerian artifacts." u should be proud of ur history

I've never heard anything more revoltingly STUPID in my entire life. Whoever came up with the DUMB and IGNORANT idea that our cultural heritage is ''evil'' for which we must beg ''forgiveness'' is the very epitome of STUPIDITY,  BRAINLESSNESS, AND DUMBNNESS.  Retarded colonial slave and bastard so called ''reverend'' or whatever rubbish he calls himself. Stupid, ignorant disgrace to the continent. ''Reverend'' of inferiority complex and self hatred.

I 'm so pissed off with that rubbish I read above. Somebody needs to knock some sense into that bastard NUMBSKULL fuuked up idiot, empty barrel, air head, WASTE OF SPACE OF A BABOON who calls himself a ''reverend''. SPIT.

^  jesus christ. i would have fainted on the spot of those insults were directed at me. lol
you are right though. we should always cherish our cultural heritage.

ROSSIKE,

I follow you SPIT for the man face. He is a shame to the ECWA congregation. Does his stupid arse not know that the FESTAC 77 symbol was a replica of the original Bini mask and that UK is still hoarding the authentic copy and many other works of art like that they stole from an African people they labeled as evil worshippers? If posession of these art works makes one an idol worshipper, then how should we label those who stole and make profit from its exhibition?

Oyinda,

Do me a favor my sister. Kindly send me that copy you posted, I like it. Soon after Michael is buried I'm updating my profile with that mask.

puh-leeze, their are no sins of festac. why do people act like 9ja traditional culture is INHERENTLY evil? what about the ancient greeks and romans? they had so many gods and did all kinds of animal sacrifice. their own gods were CRAZY! sleeping with mortal humans and eating babies. yet, we study that greeks/romans in school. that's where we get the Olympics.