Adiro akwu ofu ebe enene nmanwu (One does not stand on one spot to watch a masquerade)

Description and Significance

In Igbo culture, the masquerade embodies the spirit and human worlds. The mystique surrounding the masquerade is one the key components of the Igbo culture that survived Western influences It is generally believed in the Igboland that the masquerade is a spirit which springs from the soil. Depending on your point of view, it may be true or only a myth. The masquerades are classified into categories based on specialization. Each masquerade possesses particular attributes (warrior-like prowess, mystical powers, youthfulness, and old age) and specializes in one or more skills (dancing skills, acrobatics, and other ritual manifestations).

Masquerading may involve one person team or a team made up of instrument players, vocalists, dancers, masquerade advisers, and the masquerade itself. Most masquerades are covered from head to toe with some piece of clothing or/and bamboo rafters. Finally, a wooden mask is worn over the face. The mask will vary depending on the type of masquerade and the place of origin within the Igboland. Some masks are designed to be beautiful, intimidating or downright sinister. Most masquerades claim to have some mystical powers and are constantly competing to see which one has the most mystical powers, whenever they appear together especially at village squares or funerals.

The masquerade appears during traditional celebrations (funerals) and festivals (new yam festival). The level of apprehension and the noise that await the appearance of a masquerade, will vary, depending on the type of the masquerade, and the size and make-up of the audience.

The Igbo spirits are divided into two kinds, the visible and the invisible. Visible spirits take part in traditional festivals, while invisible ones stalk the village at night, shrieking. This is Iga, a spirit who keeps order.

The Adamma Masquerade is an innovation that has broken the traditional masking, and the Masquerade/ Cultural group has spread to almost all the entire region of the Igbo land, Adamma’s beauty represents the Igbo woman and her beauty.

Most of the Masquerades in Igbo land represent spirits but Adamma as much as it foretells the maiden spirit has no spiritual value like most Masquerades .

The spirits and ancestors of the community are embodied in masquerades, costumed performers who parade through the town.

(masquerade from igboland)

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrWu7Dp3Ea0?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash]

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2TUWa2T0QI?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash]

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbS_dIx_3Hc?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash]

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ExmhcopH0s?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash]

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRP3pBPtKsI?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash]

Interesting. Keep 'em coming. Reminds me of home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjXH4b2GUKw&feature=related

lol
Nostalgia.Can u get pictures of "ulaga" ,"aji-busu" (this one flogged me wellu wellu) and "Izaga".

ifyalways:

lol
Nostalgia.Can u get pictures of "ulaga" ,"aji-busu" (this one flogged me wellu wellu) and "Izaga".

Where are these masks from?

---

Ijele, biggest (and rarest) mask in Africa.

[center][/center]

^Onitsha.Ulaga is a very tall masquerade and shld be placed almost on same levels with Izaga.Im not sure now but i think Ulaga comes out only during funerals of titled men(ozo,agbalanze na ndi ichie ume) whilist aji busu is worn by boys with the sole purpose of hunting and flogging girls

Ooops,Izaga is the one that wears white,carries and rings a bell to announce its presence and stands/walks on sticks(joined to its ankles or sumthin).Ulaga is always on black,immediately it comes and leaves  a funeral(titled men),the person is buried.Izaga is taller than Ulaga though.

ifyalways:

Ooops,Izaga is the one that wears white,carrys and rings a bell to announce its presence and [b]stands/walks on sticks(joined to the ankles or sumthin).[/b]Ulaga is always on black,immediately it comes and leaves a funeral(titled men),the person is buried.Izaga is taller than Ulaga though

We also have that in Umuahia. They walk on sticks about a storey building high and some of them just hop about on one stick at alarming speed. We call them Nwa Nkelenke (otu ukwu or ukwu abou depending on number of sticks) I doubt that they are original to us though.

What ever happened to Akhenaten, he's stopped posting all the loving pictures

I used to look forward to coming on here to look at his numerous pictures.

Freewilly:

What ever happened to Akhenaten, he's stopped posting all the loving pictures

I used to look forward to coming on here to look at his numerous pictures.

He decided to get involved in the politics section.

Pictures of Aji busu. Im guessing the name aji busu was coined from the puss.ycat-like furs/rafters on their costume 
Evidently,Its a small masquerade .

FACE:

We also have that in Umuahia. They walk on sticks about a storey building high and some of them just hop about on one stick at alarming speed. We call them Nwa Nkelenke (otu ukwu or ukwu abou depending on number of sticks) I doubt that they are original to us though.

Which community in Umuahia?

ezeagu:

Which community in Umuahia?

Ubakala and Old Umuahia . I remember going to Apumiri Square in Ubakala when I was a kid to watch Nwankelenke during xmas. From what I observed, they did not go from place to place like other masquerades but performed in market/village squares during xmas. My own community is less than two miles from Ubakala. We are smark in the middle between Golden Guinea Breweries and The Ceramic Industry.

Do you know Umuahia ? Where do you know in Umuahia ?

FACE:

Ubakala and Old Umuahia . I remember going to Apumiri Square in Ubakala when I was a kid to watch Nwankelenke during xmas. From what I observed, they did not go from place to place like other masquerades but performed in market/village squares during xmas. My own community is less than two miles from Ubakala. We are smark in the middle between Golden Guinea Breweries and The Ceramic Industry.

Do you know Umuahia ? Where do you know in Umuahia ?

That must be Olokoro.

Abagworo:

That must be Olokoro.

Nope, part of Old Umuahia is Olokoro (Umu Uvuoma) and Umuobia. I am talking about Afara. and Ceramics are in Afara Ukwu and three clans and several kindreds make up Afara Ukwu. The land for Ceramics industry was taken from my Kindred especially and part of FGGC Umuahia (formely WTC) which is opposit Ceramics was our land as well. That area is an industrial belt with at least 7 industries from what I can remember. It forms a large chunk of Umuahia starting from Govt House to Umuobia (Olokoro) to timber shed to world bank estate - Holy Ghost College to Aguiyi Ironsi Estate.

You have a fair Idea of where Olokoro is though.

^^chai chai Umuahia lee ooh.onye ga enyetum "ofe akpuru-akpu egusi" ?.O nwere ebe anyi na aga ata nsisa na afara,lol.Ala igbo amaka!

ifyalways:

^^chai chai Umuahia lee ooh.onye ga enyetum "ofe akpuru-akpu egusi" ?.O nwere ebe anyi na aga ata nsisa na afara,lol.Ala igbo amaka!

Yeah, our signature soup- Ukazi with achara na aku ife (egusi balls) na anu na azu na okporoko. (no road in the soup at all) There is another type of akpuruakpu egusi that we eat with ugba or abacha (Jigbo), can't remember what we call it now.

Afara, one of the seven children of Ibeku.