Origins of Lagos Carnival.

Carnival has been held on the streets of Lagos for over a hundred years. It was brought to Lagos by returnees (mostly former slaves or decendants of slaves) from Brazil and Cuba who returned to Lagos in the 1850s. These returnees are known as Popo Aguda.

Prominent members of the Cuban and Brazilian (Popo Aguda) group include G. Hilario Campos (Campos Square is named after him) and Placido Adeyemo Assumpçao who later changed his name to Adeyemo Alakija.

Other prominent members of the Popo Aguda group include Chief Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez, Mr Francisco Abosede, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, Sir Festus Marinho, Mr Toyin Pinheiro, Justice Bolaji Candido Johnson, Professor da Rocha-Afodu and Major Francisco Olumide Pereira.

Fanti Carnival (also known as Caretta) was brought to Lagos Island by these Brazilians who settled around Campos area in Lagos State and on Lagos Island to be specific. It was introduced by the Da Souza and Kanaku families. The masked rider and the horse are aspects of Brazillian ranch life. Some of the men dress like cowboys and they are known as FASUTINI and they ride bicycles while their leader rides a horse.

It is important to stress that, in the early days women did not partake in the dressing up in masks and different clothing, but they were allowed to go around with the different actors.

As time went on, the people living in Lafiaji area, also on Lagos Island, started participating in the carnival. Later still, other areas of Lagos, like Obalende, Surulere, Yaba, etc caught the carnival bug. Until recently, Lagos was the only part of Nigeria that hosted the carnival.

A week before. Music and girls dancing on the carnival box at Falomo Roundabout.

Carnival is usually held in Lagos three times in a year - Boxing Day, Easter Monday and New Years Day. However, in 1991, the carnival was staged in November to mark the movement of the Federal Government from Lagos to Abuja (President Babangida, Mrs Babangida and Governor Rasaki were on the main float and there were street bands, dancers, gelede masquerades and dignitaries like the Oba of Lagos, Commodore Akhigbe, etc around them).

This year, due to the 2015 elections, the water regatta was held on April 19th, while the carnival was held on May 9th, rather than the usual Easter Sunday and Monday dates. The children's carnival was also not held this year.

Violence

The carnival was a time of fun, laughter and merriment. However, from the 1970s to the early 2000s, the great Lagos festivals of Carnival, Eyo and Egungun were marred by violence between youths from different sections of Lagos or groups of masquerades. These festivals became synonymous with injury, destruction and death.

The Lagos State Government, headed by Babatunde Fashola, decided to get involved in organising the Carnival and Eyo Festival in order to ensure that activities are conducted in a safe and secure environment and that it serves as a means to attract tourists to the state. Government involvement has returned the carnival and Eyo Festival to what they were known for; laughter, music, dancing and merriment.

Government agencies such as LASTMA, LASAMBUS, RRS, Operation Mesa, Neighbourhood Watch, etc are fully mobilised to ensure that the event is hitch free. Corporate bodies are involved in sponsoring segments of the carnival, with some providing free food, drinks and souvenirs for celebrants. BRT buses convey members of the public to the Tafawa Balewa Square free of charge. There are also open top double-decker buses that give tourists a great view of the festivities. Famous musicians such as 9ice also perform at the carnival.

A new innovation was added to the celebration of carnival with the introduction of the junior carnival. Primary and secondary schools on Lagos Island are invited to send students to represent their schools at the junior carnival. The junior carnival did not hold this year because the carnival was moved to a new date due to the 2015 elections.

The costumes are made by students/residents of the Lagos State skills acquisition centres and the cost is borne by sponsors. Sponsors of this year's carnival included Pepsi and Upuy.

In the past, the groups that attracted the most attention at the carnival were the Campos Square, Lafiaji and Gelede (traditional masquerade) groups, but in recent years, in my opinion, they've been overshadowed by LOCOMOTION, which came second in 2013 and first in 2014 (I expect them to also win this year).

Locomotion is usually made up of four sections - the main drum section, the horn section, talking drummers, crazy dancers and regular dancers.
Locomotion




Locomotion's drum section (the Earthquake)

Locomotion's crazy dancers.

Locomotion's regular dancers.

Nice one! Quite enlightening

Locomotion's talking drummers.

Locomotion at Campos Square.
I had thought that the old men (Popo Aguda/Brazilians) at the Campos Square judging point would not like Locomotion's performance, but I was wrong. They loved it (especially the talking drums and the crazy dancers).

Locomotion's main performance.

This was staged at the main judging station on Awolowo Road and at the Tafawa Balewa Square. The dj played Michael Jackson's They Don't Really Care About Us, while the band provided thunder sound effects. The dancers performed well choreographed dances and a Michael Jackson impersonator appeared from no where. There was confetti and fireworks, then the talking drummers played many popular yoruba sayings. They got a thumbs up from the Commissioner on Awolowo Road and applause from the Governor and the Governor-elect at TBS.

Lagos State Public Officials/Law Enforcers (LAWMA, LASTMA, KAI, Drain Ducks, etc).

Surulere's juggler on a unicycle.

Gelede

Gelede is an annual festival honouring “our mothers” (awon iya wa), not so much for their motherhood, but as female elders. It takes place when the dry season ends (March–May) among the Yoruba people of south-west Nigeria and neighbouring southeast Benin.

The celebration is recognises the power and spiritual capacity women have in society. The performances are given by men, wearing masks that feature sculpted images on it, These scenes can be of animals and people or sewing machines and drums. The mask is one of a pair worn together by men masquerading as women to amuse, please and placate the mothers who are considered very powerful, and whom may use their powers for good or destructive purposes. These powers are especially linked to childbirth. The abilities they possess may be activated either consciously or unconsciously. Because of the Gelede performance, the community as a whole can acknowledge the power held by women.[1]


The Gelede ceremony involves carefully choreographed dance, singing and music, and especially drumming. Dozens of masquerading pairs may take part. The daytime festival is held in the marketplace, and is preceded the night before by an Efe ceremony at which male masks are used by ‘jesters’ who make satirical performances including social comment.


Gelede probably originated in the late 18th or early 19th century. It may be associated with the change from a matriarchal to a patriarchal society, but then one might expect it to have older beginnings.


The Gelede ceremony may also take place at the funerals of cult members or in times of drought or other serious situations which are thought to have been brought about by malevolent witchcraft.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelede

Gelede at the 2015 Lagos Carnival.

Man boobs from Lafiaji.

Cool FM's reporter dancing with participants.

Confusing topic....all I see is #twerking day

Men and Women have sinned and come short of the glory of Chineke..

All i see are locomotive engines on the rail tracks..

After these displays, I guess the land must be purified with holy water and the recital of revivals songs along these routes

This government sef

Nice

Ok

wish i was there, lovely Pics

ok, custume very poor and not glamourous.

beautiful but im seeing things

j

I go like help the dancers

cool

nice