Rebirth of Cultural Diversity at Lagos Cultural Extravaganza

Yinka  Olatunbosun

Agege stadium in the Lagos mainland was animated recently, but it wasn’t because of a football match. At the centre of the football pitch were two Sato drums. These towering drums dating back to 1543 were said to have roots in Badagry among the Ogu people. Considered to be religious emblems, the pair drum is said to be male and female with the wider one considered as the male. Sato drums have deep cultural significance alluding to traditional matrimony sense. 

Customarily, the drums were said to belong to the king, beaten for the king on special occasions and to announce the ascent of the new moon. Due to its links with royalty, Sato considered a symbol of authority and power, which is deployed to maintain peace and social order in the community. Its performance is considered both spiritual and physical as it is believed to bring prosperity, good fortune and fertility.

It was no surprise then to see the drums at the Lagos Cultural Extravaganza, a day was set aside to celebrate the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat at the gubernatorial election of March 18, 2023 and to strengthen unity through a display of cultural diversity.

Masquerades of different kinds arrived at the packed venue just as the surround speakers boomed with party music. Setting the tone for the day, the opening act, Adulade Ado delivered a Yoruba oral poetry performance.  The morning programme stretched into afternoon as the audience witnessed scintillating cultural performances, magical displays, dance and music and the exhibition of artefacts drawn from the five administrative divisions of Lagos state, that is, the IBILE: Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe.

The Chairman, Second Term Inauguration Committee for Lagos state, Mr. Tayo Akinmade Ayinde described culture is the aggregation of both the tangible and intangible heritage of a people that gives them a distinctive identity.

“It is no-gainsaying in the contemporary world, the celebration of culture of a people has become a major tourism product in the global tourism market, with the number of outbound tourists engaged in culture related activities in destinations across the globe accounting for over 40% of international arrivals,” he pointed out.

Other masquerades at the cultural display include Zangbeto, the terrestrial deity and sea spirit and Kori, a women’s masquerade seen in the riverine area of Lagos. It involves the use of calabashes decorated with toys and things that represent childbearing carried by women. Egungun masquerade which represents the spiritual and earthly form of dead relatives which is a symbol of peace, blessings, protection and fertility was also part of the cultural procession. One of the last masquerades to be seen was Eyo Agere, famed for walking on stilts and considered as one of the five most senior of the many Eyo groups.

Mr Gbenga Omotosho who is the Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the second term inauguration ceremonies, assured Lagosians of the future cultural interventions that are in the pipeline.

“It is important for us to show the unity in diversity of Lagos; to show the spirit of Lagos and the diverse culture of Lagos,” he said. “Mr. Sanwo-Olu has done a lot in arts, culture and tourism. He has shown Lagosians that we are not joking with it. We are building a space that will be a place for all our children to exhibit their skills. Various people are being trained to hold their own in the area of filmmaking, scriptwriting and other areas in the creative industry and they are being trained free of charge. A big tourism place is being developed in Badagry too.”

Although the Lagos state governor and his deputy were absent from the ceremony, their wives, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-olu and Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat were both present at the event and waved at the audience before taking their seats in the auditorium. The APC party faithful and some civil servants were part of the audience at the stadium and a few locals were granted access to the general seating area to enjoy the performances.