Kalabari People!

Complicated u said?

well dat is my name and my suppose names (if changes occur to urs)

Ermm, In a nutshell, Kalabari people are descendants from the Izon in present day Bayelsa state. Calabar is a city in CrossRiver state that is home to the Efiks and I don't know anything about their history but I do know there is no common ancestry in the history.

www.kalabari-dictionary.org and www.ijawdictionary.com can also aid your searches.

there is really no common history but i did read some where how the confusion came about in the names. the confusion if i am correct is for the mispronunciation by the Portuguese. it is a long write up and it is on my facebook but i can't give u the link on my fb, if i do i will have to kill ya 

if u re mike tyson

then i am Lekiha Spicer.

As narrated by an erudite Kalabari Historian:
* Mr. Daboikiabo Jack ©

                                               
IZON (Ijo or Ijaw) gave birth to: Mein, Tarakiri & Oporoza
MEIN gave birth to: Ugo (Ogo or Pere-kor 1 of Ogobiri)
UGO gave birth to: Perebo-kala-bari (King Kalabari)
                            [Founder and Ancestor]

In the first place, the name 'kalabari' is taken from the second part of the name of the founder and first ancestor of the Kalabari people, King Perebo-kalabari. From the sketch above, it is clear that Perebo-kalabari was the son of Ugo the son of Mein, the son of Izon (Ijo or Ijaw). Perebo-kalabari the first son of Ugo lived in Ogobiri.

 He became the monarch after the death of his father. He had a wife from Isoko who was accused of witchcraft. He had to escape with her to a far town to avoid her death. While in this new place of refuge, he became very  wealthy and famous which led to envy by the people there. He then decided to migrate further,in search of his brother Kengema, to somewhere near the present Emohua (called Amafo by the Kalabaris). When he arrived there, Kengema had left the place.

Nevertheless, he decided to settle there with his people, hence the place became known as "Kengemabe Kalabari". While here, Perebo-kalabari was joined by his brother and cousin, Owoume and Igodo respectively. Thus, three of them became the first 3 chiefs of the place with Perebo-kalabari as the paramount and so, the first king of Kalabari. In the course of time, Perebo-kalabari died and was buried in Obu Amafo (back of Emuoha) which was now "Kengemabe Kalabari".

Following his death, Owoume became the second King instead of Prince Ende the first son of Perebo-kalabari. During the reign of King Owoume, the Kalabaris had some ritual assasination problems with their close neigbhours. This led to revenge and fighting. Once again, the Kalabaris had to leave for a safer place. They came to the place known today as Elem Kalabari (Old Shipping). For them, it was Iwo Kalabari. Later, King Owoume also died and his son Opu-koroye became the third King of Kalabari. It should be pointed out that Prince Ende, the first son of Perebo-kalabari died while King Owoume was still reigning. From King Opu-koroye to the civil war in 1879, thirteen (13) kings reigned with King Amakiri (Amachree I) becoming the most powerful and most popular of all the Kings of Kalabari. It was after the civil war in 1881 that the three major Kalabari towns - Abonnema, Bakana and Buguma dispersed to their present sites.
 

Past Kings of this great Kingdom

1.  King Perebo-kala-bari 
    (Kalabari)          
2. King Owoume   
3. King Opu-koroye   
4. King Owuere-ye Daba   
5. King Igbessa   
     (alias Igbo-ye Owibo)
6. King Kamalo
    (alias King Robert)   
7. King Mangiye Suku
    (Duke Monmouth)   
8. King Igonibo
9. King Ngbesa
10. King Omuye
11. King Bokoye
12. King Daba
13. King Kalagbea
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 Modern Kings (from 1669)

♦ King Amakiri (Amachree) 1                            1669 ~ 1757
♦ King Amakoro Tyger Amachree II                    1757 ~ 1782
♦ King Karibo Amachree III                            1782 ~ 1863
♦ HM King Abbi Karibo Amachree IV                    1863 ~ 1900
♦ HM King Kieni Charles Amachree V            1900 ~ 1917
♦ HM King W. Princewill Amachree VI            1919 ~ 1927
♦ HM King J. T. Princweill Amachree VII            1927 ~ 1960
♦ HM King F. T.Princewill Amachree VIII            1960 ~ 1973
♦ HM King Cotton Charles Amachree IX            1973 ~ 1975
♦ HM King Obaye Abbiye-Suku Amachree X    1977 ~ 1998
♦ HM King (Prof) T.J. T Princewill Amachree XI    2002 ~    ?

culled from www.kalabari-dictionary.org

i am 2face 

LMFAO! 


I am Larry King 

@aje.

imbre, torbra mor?

@seunnowell

depends on the Larry King you are sha. 9JA or Foreign

@Kiwi

Iyimbre Ari siim. . .

I got it off that website and have heard this story from my uncle (although not like this). Pastor Dawari Braide owns that website and is a very popular Kalabari historian and publicist in PH. He also sells Kalabari-English dictionaries through some bookshops at Town market.

I think that is the story King TJT Princewill also carries but I do not think it is fixed and will like to think there's more to it especially why Igbo people say we are actually Igbos that settled in RV state.

Some Igbo people have the surname Nwaubani (Nwa-Ubani = Child/son of Ubani) some have straight up Ubani,


Who has no link to the 'Igbo race'? It better not be any of those coastal communities your talking about or I'll kolo.

How on God's earth would Kalabari have NO link with the 'Igbo race' when all the women that birthed you guys are mostly igbo?

http://books.google.com/books?id=y5e7WI-eM1QC&pg=PA167&dq=Kalabari+igbo


from: http://books.google.com/books?id=5_G3r3ANaZMC&pg=PA73&dq=Kalabari+igbo

Ezeagu



Isn't it so typical of you Ibos - having to claim all things and everything!  Oh yeah, claim this, claim that. 

What on earth makes you think we have any connection with you guys, other than the evil attrocities committed by you lot against us during the Biafran war.  Remember what you buggers did to Bakana during the civil war?  You bloody evacuated the whole town, thereby causing the deaths of thousands of our townsfolk.  How dare you? 

You guys had tried to woefully lay a claim to the Ikwerre's, then the Ibanis, Opobos, Okirikas.  Now it's the turn of the Kalabaris.  Soon, it would be the Ijaws, Edos, Yorubas and so on.  You initially said:


You got the reply that you wanted, confirming that we, the Kalabaris are a coastal people and therefore have no connection with you lot.  Now you come back, contradicting yourself by saying:


You know what?  Your argument is flawed as there is no basis whatsoever, to your claims.  That doesn't mean, mind, that Kalabari MEN never inter-married with the Ibos IN THE OLDEN DAYS.  Indeed, a handful (yes, a handful) of them actually did but this was never the norm for you to make such a sweeping statement. 

Why wouldn't they?  Aren't the Ibos human beings?  You are, afterall, our upland neighbours and I can't see anything wrong with any Kalabari guy or gal marrying an Ibo.  What I don't take to, kindly, is when you make such blanket statements as quoted above.

Here's a bit of Kalabari custom and tradition for you:

If a Kalabari guy went out and married an Ibo woman in the olden days, the woman, on arrival in her husband's hometown, gets initiated into Kalabari society during a traditional ceremony attended by the chiefs and elders of the compound of her husband's family.  She gets given a Kalabari name and foresakes her Ibo heritage.  She then becomes a Kalabari woman per se, a house is built for her in her husband's compound, she also learns our culture and tradition, including how to speak the language, amongst others. 

In view of this ceremony, she severs all ties with her erstwhile Ibo family and never, ever, goes back there until her dying day.  She never gets addressed as an Ibo woman either 'cos that would be contrary to our culture and tradition.  She herself would NEVER say she is of Ibo origin, proud to be a Kalabari woman.  Her offsprings could never be classed as having an Ibo heritage either.  Never, because that would not be deemed a sensible thing to say and would bring down the wrath of the elders on the one that makes such callous statement because it is indeed, contrary to Kalabari customs and tradition.

So, there!  Be careful what you say next time.



kiwi992.

dude i understand u how important it is 4 u to zip us into the igbo culture but i say thanks but no thanks, i am not igbo, never was, never will be. I AM A VERY PROUD KALABARI MAN, TRUE BREED!  

oh, very special and yes unlike u, I can read and comprehend

the very same way igbo ppl dont have links with yorubas

we appreciate the fact that u will leave the thread for kalabari ppl, i am such there is an igbo thread some where begging for attention.