Department of History and International Studies

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Browsing Department of History and International Studies by Subject "Cultural festivals"

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    Modernity and Threats to Traditional Values: The Echi'ja Cultural Festival in Idomaland
    (RUN Journal of Cultural Studies, 2017-01-20) Kohol, Sylvester
    In 1966, the first World Festival of Black Arts (FESMAN) was held in Dakar Senegal. The event attracted mainly great minds of African descent from over thirty seven countries that converged to celebrate the African heritage and culture, as well as to demonstrate practically the essence of cultural rebirth. Over a decade later, in 1977, the second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77) was held in Lagos, Nigeria. With over 17,000 participants cut across fifty-seven countries around the world, the event also provided the opportunity of celebrating the great minds from Africa and the Diaspora. Indeed, the festival, based on available records, remained one of the most glamorous and most significant cultural events ever hosted on the African continent in contemporary history. It is against this background that this study examines the Echiā€™ja cultural festival within the general context of cultural renaissance in Idomaland, Nigeria. Data collection was based on oral interviews, articles in learned journals and books, newspapers, as well as scholarly essays on the internet. The study adopts the historical-analytical method in interpreting these documents. Findings from this study, apart from contributing to the existing body of knowledge, it demonstrates the relevance of cultural festivals in reviving African identity, especially in Idomaland, Nigeria