Nigeria's Traditional "Agbo Remireke" Masquerade & Festival That Occurs Every Three Years From December 25th Through January 9thth

Landmark Youth, Dec 29, 2021  AGBOWA IKOSI

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases three YouTube videos of a masquerade called Agbo Remireke that is celebrated once in three years during December in the Nigerian town of Agbowa-Ikosi.

Information about this masquerade is also included in this post.

The Addendum to this pancocojams post includes a video of a HBCU (historically Black [United States] colleges and  university) marching band because of a statement that I read that HBCU drum majors' high stepping marching style was partly influenced by Yoruba Egungun festivals.*   

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who were part of this masquerade and all those who were associated with the production of these videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to Landmark Youth for publishing these videos on YouTube. 
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I searched for YouTube videos about Egungun masquerades after reading this quote about historically Black (United States) colleges and universities' drum majors' high stepping marching traditions: "Black historian Sterling Stuckey and music historians connect black college band showmanship to influences from 13th-century West Africa and the Egun masqueraders of the Yoruba tribe, who would play musical instruments and dance in funeral processions. Other historians point to black drill sergeants during World War I who introduced both melody and foot-stomping syncopation into their cadence counting, permanently altering the standard, Western marching call." quote from http://www.hbcusports.com/forums/threads/an-article-on-the-history-of-hbcu-marching-bands.24538/ An article on the history of HBCU marching bands, Discussion in 'The Band Board' started by PsychoJag, Dec 19, 2003.

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-origins-of-historically-black.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled The Origins Of High Step Style Marching (Historically Black Colleges & Universities Marching Bands)

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Agbo Remireke Festival 2021, Kederi Dance II

Landmark Youth, Dec 29, 2021  AGBOWA IKOSI

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EXPLANATION OF THE YORUBA TERM "EGUNGUN" 
From  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egungun 
"Egungun, (egúngún with Yorùbá language tone marks) in the broadest sense is any Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure.[1] More specifically, it is a Yoruba masquerade for ancestor reverence, or the ancestors themselves as a collective force. Eégún is the reduced form (abbreviation through assimilation) of the word egúngún and has the same meaning. [2] There is a misconception that Egun or Eegun (eégún with Yorùbá tone marks) is the singular form, or that it represents the ancestors while egúngún is the masquerade or the plural form. This misconception is common in the Americas by Orisa devotees that do not speak Yorùbá language as a vernacular.[3] Egungun is a visible manifestation of the spirits of departed ancestors who periodically revisit the human community for remembrance, celebration, and blessings.[4]"...

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGBO REMIREKE MASQUERADE AND FESTIVAL

These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

EXCERPT #1
From https://www.facebook.com/nigeriafoundation/photos/a.113230867408617/125477972850573/?type=3
..." The Agbo Remireke Festival is a significant occasion in Yoruba culture that is held every three years during the month of December"... 

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EXCERPT #2
From https://cultureexplore.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/agbo-remireke-a-festival-of-unity/ Agbo Remireke-A Festival of Unity
"Agbo Remireke Festival is best described as a festival of unity and reunion of the people of Agbowa at home and in diaspora.  Although a very small community, the people of Agbowa have a very vibrant culture and tradition which they have sustained for several decades; I am talking about the Agbo-Remireke festival, celebrated every three years, in honour of a water deity.  The interesting thing about the festival is that, it’s celebrated during Christmas, even though it’s a traditional festival. The festival starts on Christmas day, the 25th of December and ends on the 9th of January.

The festival is a unifying platform for all the religions; Christianity, Islam and Traditional belief system. In other words, unity is placed as a top priority as against religious affiliation for celebrating this festival.  The festival is open to all, explained Chief Oluwaremilekun Adeniyi; the Iyalode of Agbowa during an interview with her. She also stressed on the importance of the festival to the people of Agbowa, she said the Agbo Remireke is the only festival celebrated by the people of Agbowa and it’s highly attended by Agbowa citizens at home and in diaspora. She said the festival brings peace and unity to the community. Engineer Shikiru Kunle Ogunfowora, the Aro of Agbowa buttressed same point by saying the festival attracts both youths and the elderly, male and female and even children are encouraged to be part of the festival so that, the tradition is sustained. He said, the festival is dedicated to women.”…

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EXCERPT #3
From https://steemit.com/culture/@sammielaboi/agbo-remireke-festival-of-agbowa-ikosi AGBO REMIREKE FESTIVAL OF AGBOWA -IKOSI, written by sammielaboi, 2017
"Masquerades in Nigeria are regarded as spirits or heavenly bodies which communicate between people’s ancestors and the living. They wear masks and have dance steps that can keep spectators in one spot for a long time. Some masquerades chase and flog spectators while others don’t.

Masquerades festivals are traditional and cultural events which civilization cannot erase. It is an event usually celebrated by a local community. Different communities have different type of masquerade they celebrate. These festivals serve to meet specific needs as well as to provide entertainment for the people. They also help to remind people of their traditions and in recent times helps in unifying a community.

AGBO REMIREKE

Agbo remireke festival is the most important and significant festival of Agbowa-ikosi. It is celebrated once in three years during the Christmas period. This study seeks to bring to lime light the dramatics of the festival, and to look at the way the people of Agbowa have been celebrating this festival in the past and recent years. Another purpose of this study is to look at the way the people celebrate this festival despite the fact that many identify themselves as either Christians or Muslims.

[…]

Origin of Agbo-remireke Festival

According to my informant, the Agbo festival did not originate from Agbowa-Ikosi. It was collected from a village called Iwopin. It is said that a man from Agbowa-Ikosi went on a journey to Iwopin in Ogun State. He saw the festival been celebrated and he liked it. He went to meet the elders of Iwopin to enquire how he would be able to bring the festival to Agbowa. He was required to perform some sacrifices. So he came back to Agbowa to consult with the elders about bringing the festival to Agbowa.

The elders bought into the idea and went along with him to Iwopin to carry out the necessary sacrifices and bring the festival to Agbowa. After the completion of the sacrifice, the deities that are associated with the festival were given to them. The name of the deities are: “Majenimo” also known as “Okooro”. This diety is the one that declares the date of the Agbo Festival. Another diety given to these elders is called “Alelugbagba”. This diety is also important in choosing the date of the celebration. When the “Alelugbagba” masquerade comes out, it means that the date of celebration is fixed. If it has not come out, then the date can still be changed. It also goes in search of plantains to be used for sacrifice.

Another deity in the celebration is the “Ajeye” (Chicken eater) deity. This deity goes in search of chickens to be used for sacrifice and it is also believed that the “Ajeye” is the Agbo-remireke deity.

It is believed that the Agbo remireke will be tired after the performance, so as the husband, “Ajeye” has to provide the food that she will eat after her performance. Hence, he goes in search of chicken for her. The main deity of the festival is the Agbo-remireke deity. It is a feminine deity. A collection of this deities are called “Irunmale” meaning “deities”. The festival is performed once in three years and it is done during the Christmas period.

Drum

There are special drums for the festival. The drums are in three different sets, the smallest one is called “Ipere” or “Omele” in other Yoruba communities. There is also a twin set of drums called “Kuge”. One of the twin sets of drum is known as “Kuge Olohun Oke” which means high sounding Kuge and the other one is called “Kuge Olohun Isale” which means low sounding Kuge. The biggest drum is called “Olori Ilu” which which means the “Chief drum”. The drum is used to communicate with the Agbo masquerade. It changes its dance steps as the drummer changes the beats.

Dance

The masquerade dances to the beat of the drum. There are also three different types of dance that the masquerade dances. The first one is called “Irenle” or “Ilale”. This dance is sued to show off the costume of the masquerade. It is a majestic dance where the masquerade bends down and displays its colourful costume. The second dance is known as “Kederi”. In this dance, the masquerade shows off its dancing skills. The third dance is called “Ayegun”. It is only danced on the last day of the festival. When the Agbo-Remireke is about to dance the “Ayegun” dance, her husband, the “Ajeye” masquerade stands besides her. The dance steps are a natural gift. Though, people learn the dance even if they are not talented but there is always a sharp difference between those who are naturally gifted and those who are not.

Costume

This is the most expensive aspect of the festival. “Eku” is the Yoruba name for masquerade costumes. The people of Agbowa-Ikosi go as far as importing the material for the costume from abroad. The costume for non masquerade can cost as much as two to five million naira. Colourful designs are embroidered on the costume. According to my informant, when the festival first came to Agbowa, women’s old wrappers were used as costume. With the arrival of modernity, the costume changed and beautiful designs are being made on the costume. The costume also includes a mask with a feminine face. It is believed that the masquerade is a female, so the mask is also made with afeminine face and plaited hair. The masquerade also holds a sword and horse tail known as “Irukere” in Yoruba language. The sword is used by the masquerade to make way for itself. The audience gets carried away with its performance and they constitute an obstruction which prevents the masquerade from dancing round the square. It wields the sword in order to scare people back, thereby making a way for itself. The horse tail is used to add to its majestic aura. There are also rattles tied to the masquerade’s legs. The rattle is called “Ide” in Yoruba. It is used to announce its presence and also to keep it in tune with the drum.

Music

This is a very important aspect of the festival. Though, there is little or no linguistic content in masquerade festivals as noted by Finnegan, there is the use of music to convey messages to people during this time. The elders sing a song to greet the people. The people also reply with song. A very important part of the music is this festival is the insult and praise songs. Different groups emerge to compose songs which will either be in praise of someone or be an insult to someone. The praise song is used to encourage people to keep on doing good and the insult song serves as a form of check and balance to defaulters. The Agbo also has an “Oriki”, a panegyric/praise chant. The chant is used to hail the Agbo deity and the other deities associated with it."...

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ADDENDUM- HBCU DRUM MAJORS' HIGH STEPPING MARCHING STYLE

Famu Marching 100 | "Snake Walk/ Pre-Game Entrance" (2021)

MARCHING 100 PAPARAZZI, Sept. 21, 2021

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Egungun Masquerade In Ogun State, Nigeria (video & information)

Kabiyesi tv, March 28, 2020

The Egungun festival is the most colourful of Yoruba festivals. Annual Egungun festival are held in Yoruba communities and in communities that practice Yoruba traditional worship around the world. The masquerade can only be taken on by male members of the Egungun families. Women are only allowed to participate in the chorus that sings the praise and recites the histories of the family.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of Nigeria's traditional Egungun festival (masquerade). 

This post also includes a Wikipedia excerpt about Egungun festival.  

This content is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

Thanks to the producer of this video and all those who are associated with this video. Thanks to all who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/comparative-traditions-masquerades.html for the 2011 pancocojams post entitled "Comparative Traditions - Nigeria's Egungun Masquerades & Other Whirling Dances"

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EXCERPT FROM WIKIPEDIA'S PAGE ABOUT EGUNGUN
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egungun
"Egungun, (egúngún with Yorùbá language tone marks) in the broadest sense is any Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure.[1] More specifically, it is a Yoruba masquerade for ancestor reverence, or the ancestors themselves as a collective force. Eégún is the reduced form (abbreviation assimilation) of the word egúngún and has the same meaning.[citation needed] There is a misconception that Egun or Eegun (eégún with Yorùbá tone marks) is the singular form, or that it represents the ancestors while egúngún is the masquerade or the plural form. This misconception is common in the Americas by Orisa devotees that do not speak Yorùbá language as a vernacular.

[…]

Family Role in Egungun

In the Yoruba religion, the annual ceremonies in honor of the dead serve as a means of assuring their ancestors a place among the living. They believe the ancestors have the responsibility to compel the living to uphold the ethical standards of the past generations of their clan, town or family. The Egungun are celebrated in festivals, known as Odun Egungun, and in family ritual through the masquerade custom.

In family situations, a family elder known either formally or informally as "Alagba" presides over ancestral rites. He may or may not be initiated into the local Egungun society. In matters that deal with whole communities, Egungun priests and initiates who are trained in ancestral communication, ancestral elevation and funerary rites are assigned to invoke and bring out the ancestors. They wear elaborate costumes in masquerade. Through drumming and dance, the Egungun robed performers are believed to become possessed by the spirits of the ancestors, as manifested as a single entity. The Egungun spiritually cleans the community; through the dramatic acting and miming of the robed priests, they demonstrate both ethical and amoral behavior that have occurred since their last visit. In this way, they expose the strengths and weaknesses of the community to encourage behavior more befitting of their descendants. When this performance is completed, the performers as Egungun give messages, warnings and blessings to the assembled spectators.

Important Egungun include the Oloolu and Alapansanpa, both of Ibadanland. Elewe of the Ìgbómìnà Yoruba clan, which is common in the towns of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, Ìlá Òràngún, and Arandun, is also of particular prominence.

In Brazil, the main cult of the Egungun is found on the island of Itaparica, in the State of Bahia. Houses of worship dedicated to the Egungun also exist in other states.

Egungun ensembles

Cloth plays an important role in the world of the Yoruba. Their beliefs equate nakedness with infancy, insanity, or the lack of social responsibility.[3] More elaborate dress reflects social power and prestige. In performances honoring ancestors, exquisite cloth is the major medium for the masker's transformation. An Egungun costume is composed of multiple layers of cloth lappets made from expensive and prestigious textiles, expressing the wealth and status of a family as well as the power of the ancestor.

The composition of an Egungun ensemble has several distinctive features. The layer worn closest to the masker's skin, the undersack, must be made of Aso-Oke, the indigo and white strip-cloth (Fig. 6). It closely resembles the shroud in which the dead are wrapped.[4] This sack, along with the netting for the face and hands, must completely seal the masker's body. The netting effectively disguises facial and hand features that might disclose his identity.

On top of this base are placed the layers of lappets. As the masker whirls, the lappets are sent flying, creating a "breeze of blessing." The design of the costume is therefore closely related to the choreography of the performance. Henry Drewal hypothesizes that the breeze of blessing created by the Egungun may also relate to Oya, the wife of Shango, the deified fourth king of Oyo and the god of thunder.[4][5] Oya is the whirlwind, considered a wind of blessing, that precedes Shango, the storm.

To make the costume beautiful, and thus powerful, the lappets are decorated with patchwork patterns, braids, sequins, tassels, and amulets. The amulets hold medicinal preparations which have performative power (ase), providing protection against enemies at a time when the transformed person is vulnerable. The main protective amulets, however, are on the inside of the costume, not the outside. Metallic objects are also sewn onto the garment. These catch the light as the wearer moves, creating flashes that suggest connection to the spirit world, orun.[4]

The multiple hidden and visible layers of fabric used to create an Egungun costume signify the sacred and the worldly, respectively.[4] The layers, used in combination, suggest the reunion of the departed and the living.[4]

An ensemble is repaired and refurbished for use year after year, with layers of new lappets and amulets added to express remembrance and honour. Through divination, however, an ancestor might request a new costume altogether. The owner and the patron, the priest of divination, the tailor, the herbalist who prepares the packets of medicines, and the entire lineage collaborate in creating the ensemble. Depending upon its wealth, a family may own several types of Egungun costumes, which may represent specific or collective ancestors of the lineage.

The Egungun ensemble acts as the medium for the masker's transformation into his ancestors. An Egungun society is composed of men and women whose lineages have the right to present the masquerade. Men do the masking. Women never wear the costume, although they participate in the chorus that sings the oriki praise poems and histories of the families. Elder women of high title also perform invocations, prayers, and offerings. At annual festivals, each of the numerous lineages is given a separate day to perform. The masker is kept at a distance from the surrounding crowd with the help of attendants dressed in masquerade costumes of different types. After all the Egungun have danced, the ensembles are stored until the next performance.[5]

Women's role in Egungun

Egungun masquerades are male-dominated within the performance aspect and only males are allowed to connect with the spirits in Egungun by transforming into the masked figure. Women are important in creating the materials, dramatizing the performance, singing, dancing and watching. Elders say that separation is necessary because of the dangers of women power. [6]

According to the Ifa corpus,  women were once in control of Egungun and the ritual originates from women’s religious experience in Yoruba.[7] It is also argued that women were the sustainers of Egungun and according to the Odu Irantegbe chapter of the  Ifa corpus, they were tricked by men and their powers over the Egungun cult were taken away. [7]”....

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Excerpts About The Meaning Of The Nigerian Saying "Egungun Be Careful Na Express You De Go”

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the Nigerian saying "Egungun be careful na express you de go”.

Part I presents article excerpts that explain the meaning of the Nigerian saying "Egungun be careful na express you de go”.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/06/videos-of-2001-fuji-song-egungun-be.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides information about the Nigerian Fuji singer Abass Akande Obsere and information about the contemporary Nigerian singer Zlatan. Part II also showcases a video of the 2001 Fuji song "Egungun Be Careful" as well as a March 2020 video of that song's remix by Obsere and Zlatan. Some comments from the discussion thread for the video of Abass Akande Obsere's 2001 song are also included in that post.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and linguistics purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Abass Akande Obesere for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAYING "EGUNGUN BE CAREFUL NA EXPRESS YOU DE GO"
Excerpt #1:
From https://www.informationng.com/2020/03/fuji-legend-obesere-explains-meaning-of-egungun-be-careful-video.html
Fuji Legend, Obesere Explains Meaning Of ‘Egungun Be Careful’ (Video)
By Amaka Odozi -March 7, 2020
"Fuji legend, Obesere, in a recent interview with Boom Buzz, explained the meaning of his trending song, “Egungun be careful na express you de go”.

The singer revealed he released the song 19 years ago and it is a warning or a slang.

RECORDED EGUNGUN BE CAREFUL 19 YEARS AGO AND IT'S STILL RELEVANT TODAY. GIVE GOD THE GLORY. PIC.TWITTER.COM/HZXVQYDEA6

— ALH. ABASS AKANDE OBESERE (@ABASS_OBESERE) MARCH 5, 2020

The Fuji singer, whose full name is Abass Akande Obesere, explained that a masquerade’s face is masked and he needs a guide to lead him.

Thus, when the guide and the masquerade were heading towards the express, the former tried to warn the latter about the express road by calling him “Egungun” because his name cannot be exposed but the masquerade failed to listen so he got knocked down by a car.”...
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This saying is given in Nigerian Pidgin English. I think one standard English form of this saying is "Egungun, be careful as you are heading toward the expressway ("highway", busy street.)

That saying warns people to be cautious as their actions (and words) have consequences.

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Excerpt #2
From https://businessday.ng/opinion/article/egungun-be-careful-na-express-you-dey-go/ "Egungun Be Careful Na Express You Dey Go" by RILWAN BALOGUN On Mar 25, 2020
"Egungun is a generic name given to various kinds of Yoruba masquerades, traditionally believed to have connection with ancestor reverence. They are visibly seen in masks of various native costumes whenever they appear amidst crowd. Some 19 years ago, a popular Fuji musician, Abass Akande Obesere, hit the music genre with an album titled “egungun be careful” I could recall, vividly, no sooner had the album hit the air, than the news rented the air that the formerly cross dresser artiste, Obesere, had been held incommunicado. It was however rumoured, though, that the reason for his hostage was simply to “deal” with him by the Ojes, who are the innate practitioners of egungun, thus, an action purportedly taken to caution the Fuji maestro.

[...]

What does the removal of an emir has to do with masquerade, locally called egungun, dodo and mmanwu in the 3 major languages in Nigeria? Why the call of caution for it to be careful? The reason for my adoption of this title is a sheer sarcasm and a satire as well, deployed to caution whoever holds the office of a traditional institution to be wary of enthusiastically engaging in criticising the power that be, for risk of vendetta or reappraisal of attacks. For the revolutionist, who thinks the government has failed the nation, beloved, please tell him that his egungun be careful na express he dey go. For that crusader who is on a lone mission to liberating the downtrodden from the shackles of political desperadoes, please, do him good by ringing the bell of warning down to his auditory canals, that his egungun is going to the express, thus, should exercise every caution.

[...]

Any traditional ruler, dabbling into the murky ocean of politics should be signaled that his revered royal regalia is calling the bluff of going close to a raging fire. In addition, to that political office holder, elected or appointed, who sees alignment with political hawks, gathering, whining and dining with the heists, whom are the power that be, should please be wary of the consequences of masquerading against the truth.

One may need to ask, whether this piece tries to advocate against voices that stand to speak the truth for the fear of one’s masquerade being jammed by the ferocious ruling government’s truck? The simple answer is NO! Rather, this is an exposition of the rulers’ innocuous intoxication withy power, inebriation at the expense of the good to the society."...

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.opinionnigeria.com/sanusi-lamido-sanusi-egungun-be-careful-na-express-you-dey-go-by-tife-owolabi/ "Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: Egungun Be Careful Na Express You Dey Go" -By Tife OwolabiOpinion Nigeria Staff, March 18, 2020
"There is a rule of thumb for comedians: “Get off the stage while they are still laughing.” For politicians, maybe it should be “Get off the stage while you are still laughing!”

"Egungun becareful na Express you dey go ” which was used 19years ago by popular Fuji Musician,Abass Akande Obesere popularly known as “Omo Rapala or Papa Tosibe has resurfaced and assuming new order as a Cliche . It is a friendly- advice or warning ; a deep hearted one to a friend not to misbehave looking at his/her current position or disposition.

This is also no offense to the attire and emir stool as I have chosen this topic not to disparage the royal regalia but to speak on the current ordeal of the deposed Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II . Sanusi as gone from sublime to the ”ridiculous” given the circumstances surrounding his dethronement which he is oblivious of that he is being used as a pawn of chess by some political Gladiators."...
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The article given as #2 above also references the Emir of Kano (Nigeria) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II who was deposed in March 2020 as a political example of the saying "Egungun be careful". Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanusi_Lamido_Sanusi for information about Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II.

There are numerous online articles from Nigeria and YouTube videos from March 2020 to date of Nigerian comedy skits, dance videos, and more about the saying "Egungun Be Careful".That saying appears to still be still trending in Nigeria as of the June 8, 2020 date of this pancocojams post.

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

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