The Carnival Theme For Kizz Daniel's "Buga" Video Was Likely Inspired By Nigeria's Calabar Carnival

CalabarFestival, Jul 24, 2013 

Feel the energy, Enjoy the choreography...the colour, the glamour, the beauty of the Carnival Calabar. Carnival Calabar...Africa's Biggest Festival

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III  of a three part pancocojams series on Nigerian singers Kizz Daniel, featuring Tekno's 2022 song and video "Buga".

This post showcases a YouTube video of Nigeria's Calabar carnival and presents information and comments about that carnival. The official video for Kizz Daniel's "Buga" song is also showcased in this post for comparison's purposes.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/07/nigerian-hit-song-buga-by-kizz-daniel.html for Part I of this pancocojams series on Kizz Daniel, featuring Tekno's song and video "Buga". showcases the official YouTube video for "Buga" and includes the lyrics to that song. That song is sung in Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin English, and American English (including African American Vernacular English). 

Explanations in English for some of those lyrics are included in this pancocojams post.

That post also includes some information about Kizz Daniel &Tekno and a few general comments from that video's discussion thread.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/07/when-how-yoruba-word-buga-became-name.html for Part II of this pancocojam series. This post showcases a video of a TikTok Buga dance challenge and presents information & comments about the origin and meanings of the word 'buga".in Nigeria.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, and historical purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Kizz Daniel, Tekno, and all those who are associated with the "Buga" song and its official YouTube video. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this post's showcase video and thanks to the publisher of that video on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who were associated or are now associated with Nigeria's  Calabar Carnival..

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Kizz Daniel, featuring Tekno- "Buga"



Kizz Daniel, June 22, 2022

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INFORMATION ABOUT CALABAR

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabar
"Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar)[2] is the capital of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language.[3] The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and creeks of the Cross River (from its inland delta).

Calabar is often described as the tourism capital of Nigeria, especially due to several initiatives implemented during the administration of Donald Duke (1999–2007), which made the city the cleanest and most environmentally friendly city in Nigeria."...

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CALABAR CARNIVAL
From https://www.carnivaland.net/calabar-carnival/#:~:text=the%20Calabar%20Carnival-,What%20is%20the%20history%20of%20Calabar%20Carnival%3F,one%20tourist%20destination%20for%20Nigerians.
"Calabar Carnival is known as the pride of Nigeria. For the entire month of December the city of Calabar puts on numerous carnival events.

[…]

The Calabar Carnival is without a doubt the biggest, best and longest tourism event in West Africa. It attracts over two million revellers and features participants from over 25 different countries. The Battle of the Bands and Street Parade is even broadcast to a television audience of around fifty million!

[…]

Africa’s best carnival Calabar Carnival is a month long celebration filled with exciting events. The highlight of Calabar Carnival is the Street Parade that features the Battle of the Bands. The Parade is only a slither of Calabar Carnivals attractions. There are ceremonies, concerts, art shows, street parties, masque events, sporting events and non-stop parties.

[…]

What is the history of Calabar Carnival?

The origins of Calabar Carnival started back in 2004 when Donald Duke the governor of Cross River, Nigeria, decided it would be the perfect way to boost tourism and the local economy. He wanted to turn Cross River State into the number one tourist destination for Nigerians.

He wanted to create a carnival festival that would heavily showcase the local heritage and the Calabar Carnival was a wild succuss! Today the carnival attracts millions of visitors throughout the entire month of December and has given the local economy a huge boost.

Ironically the biggest and best carnival in Africa, the birthplace of carnival, is actually one of the youngest carnivals in the world."... 

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT NIGERIA'S CARNIVALS (WITH A FOCUS ON THE CALABAR CARNIVAL)
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF90M96m2Q " Kizz Daniel, Tekno - Buga (Official Video)",published by Kizz Daniel, June 22, 2022

All of these comments are from June 22, 2022 to July 17, 2022. These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest comments given first except for replies. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.  

1. Jenakumo Yeri
"This Buga video has it all... Fine people, funny people, crazy people, culture, children, joy, happiness, colours, flags, nations, fights, football, dance... it's a carnival... It's crazy and it's dope. Another master class by TG Omori."
-snip-
TG Omori is the Director of this video.

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2. Mary Owens
"yes indeed !  its a carribeen carnival  ,with all the beautiful costumes"

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3. Reply
ezenwanyi
"@Mary Owens  stop calling it carribean. it literally looks straight like a calabar festival."

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4. Ajibola-johnson Boladale
" @Mary Owens  no it’s calabar festival from Nigeria"

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5. Claudia Hazlewood
"He went to Trinidad, Antigua, Jamaica, all over the Caribbean with this Carnival influenced video. We all looooove it. 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲"
-snip-
JM= Jamaica

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6. E E
"They have been celebrating carnival in the Southeastern region of Nigeria."

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7. Luminous Solitude
"@E E  not before those countries mentioned above though"

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8. E E
"@Luminous Solitude  The have been celebrating it for very long. It is to celebrate certain spirits."

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9. Luminous Solitude
"@E E  Was it not Donald Duke that started it?"

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10. taiwo oluwatoyin omolayo
"@Luminous Solitude  Yes, Donald Duke started it and it is in the  South-Southern region of Nigeria NOT South-Eastern. This is a misconception."

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11. Luminous Solitude
"@taiwo oluwatoyin omolayo  What is misconception? I'm confused."

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12. 7th Orisha
" @taiwo oluwatoyin omolayo  Donald who? The same carnival that we've been celebrating in Lagos since 1800s? 🤣"

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13. E E
"@taiwo oluwatoyin omolayo  Donald Duke popularized what they were celebrating in the villages. It's like when people said that Miley Cyrus invented twerking. Wow so if he didn't popularize it you wouldn't have known what Eastern villages were celebrating. And you are Nigerian. When it is time to criticize and denigrate other tribes we are champions. But to understand one another we are no where to be seen."

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14. @tosinkingjames
"Claudia, the carnivals in Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica and other Carribean/AfroLatina regions were started by West Africans who were taken as slaves to those regions. Majority of these people were taken from Nigeria, especially the South Western part where the Yorubas are headquartered. That is why Osun, Ifa, Ogun, Olodum and other Orishas are holding sway up to today in those regions. The carnivals and their elements were (and are) ritualistic ceremonies that West Africans did/do annually in honor of the gods. Out of these traditions came the fashion, the music, the cultures of the blacks in America's (including reggae, rap, trap, rhythm and blues, etc). The colonial masters and the slave masters took away the history of a people and turned it upside down because that's the most effective way to render them powerless. Please use YouTube and other internet sites to research these topics."

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15. Gloria Lijoodi
"We need to start thinking about holding African Festivals!

Could you imagine being in such a crowd! 👌🏾

Our ancestors would come down! LoL"

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16. Silvia Agh
"Fr"

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17. Precoded Child
"How are you sure our ancestors haven't bugad  to this jam already. They will still honour our invitation"

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18. Adé Adé
"The traditional festivals are so many in Nigeria you can't count. BTW apparently the concept of Carnival actually derives from many of the centuries old traditional and spiritual festivals we have, that were brought over there by our peoples during slavery - many still holding to this day..  Masquerades and Égúngún etc.."

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19. Blessing Kennzy
"Great idea, and different African countries host it every year, it’s gonna feel like the World Cup"

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20. Fatumata Djabi
"There's Afro Nation"

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21. Blessing Kennzy
" @Fatumata Djabi  The thing is Afro nation is a Festival not a Carnival and is not only hosted in Africa"

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22. Esme Adusei
"Pop out to Afrochella, it’s in Ghana"

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23. Ola Ola
"That was what FESTAC '77 was supposed to be but we Africans don't know how to love and keep our culture. Hopefully things will start to change with the younger generation!"

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24. Vybz Unit Entertainment
"Love to see the Carnival like Atmosphere there and the smiles on  the people faces ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ thanks for passing this culture down to the Caribbean islands ❤️❤️❤️🇬🇩"

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25. Beauty Stick
"Aww I love and appreciate this comment “thanks for passing this culture down to the Caribbean Island” 🖤🇬🇭"

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26. Royalty deal
"It wasn’t even passed down in terms of influence; Culture, carnival is in our blood in the Caribbean, because we are Africans by blood right and spirit. If I was a unlearned man, I would have thought of these similarities between the Caribbean, South America and Africa as a coincidence, but thank GOD I know better. The regalia looks exactly like those that we create in our Junkanoo/Carnival Parade in THE BAHAMAS."

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27. @tosinkingjames
"Many people appear surprised to see Carnival in a Nigerian video. Some say it was copied from Brazil. That is a historical fallacy. The carnivals in Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica and other Carribean/AfroLatina regions were started by West Africans who were taken as slaves to those regions. Majority of these people were taken from Nigeria, especially the South Western part where the Yorubas are headquartered. That is why Osun, Ifa, Ogun, Olodum, Olokun, Yemoja and other Orishas are holding sway up to today in those regions. The carnivals and their elements were (and are) ritualistic ceremonies that West Africans did/do annually in honor of the gods. Out of these traditions came the fashion, the music, the cultures of the blacks in America's (including reggae, rap, trap, rhythm and blues, break dance, twerking, etc). The colonial masters and the slave masters took away the history of a people and turned it upside down ... because that's the most effective way to render them powerless. Please use YouTube and other internet sites to research these topics to educate yourself. Eg: Calabar Carnival, Osun Festival, Eyo Festival in Lagos, Lagos Carnival, etc.

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28. 7th Orisha
"Preach🙏🏾"

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE CALABAR CARNIVAL
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xWOYWdE9GE "Buga Reaction | Kizz Daniel, Tekno", published by Beni Dhru, June 23, 2022

All of these comments were published in June 2022. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1.DemiKhay Africa Tv
"There's the Calabar carnival held yearly in Nigeria. Calabar is the capital of Cross River State located in the South South region. Another is the Fanti carnival in Lagos Island, it was initiated by Afro Brazilian returnee slaves who settled in Lagos many years ago. it's the oldest in Nigeria but not as large as Calabar carnival which has much more international appeal. Well done, ladies".

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2. Effiong Ukih
"Great reaction girls. Yes Nigeria has the biggest carnival  in Africa tag" Calabar carnival " . It was recently suspended for obvious reasons especially the global pandemic and others.  Hopefully it'll be restored soon.  Keep it up!"

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3. Nkoro, N. E.
"yes, but this Year (2022) there will be #CalabarCarnival..... so please don't miss out. come and Buga your festivity and love from the beautiful city of Calabar - #DistinationCrossRiver"

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4. KARMA
"We have a Nigerian carnival that lasts for a month, during the Xmas holidays..it begins on the 1st  to 30th Dec every year, and it takes place in Calabar, which was the first ever capital of Nigeria,  before Lagos, now Abuja..Great people, beautiful people. The whole world meet up there during the carnival period...Book hotels 6 month before going, else you won't find any."

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This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.

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