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The grand finale
of this year’s Anioma Festival held on April 5 at the Arcade Ground,
Asaba, attracted thousands of residents in the Delta North Senatorial
district of the state.

The Organisation
for the Advancement of the Anioma Culture (OFAAC), organised the
seventh edition of the annual celebration themed ‘Promoting Cultural
Tourism for Sustainable Development’. It featured dances, music,
fashion, food fair, and other arts peculiar to the people.

Opening glee

Members of a group
which appeared unable to contain its excitement left their seats as
gaily costumed troupes poured into the venue. They paired and showed
off their dancing skills to onlookers before the formal commencement. A
traditional flutist welcomed people while the MC, Tony Emordi,
acknowledged the royalty present.

Traditional title
holder, the Omu of Anioma, Obi Martha Dunkwu, arrived in style. A
traditional flutist trailed her while an older woman in her entourage
of seven women shrieked intermittently. Governor of Delta State,
Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was expected, failed to show up. Secretary to
the state government, Ifeanyi Okowa, who is from Anioma, was however
part of the celebration. He led guests on the high table to view the
display of local foods, beads, Akwa-Ocha woven cloth, and artworks
mounted in an exhibition in the course of the programme.

Surprise winner

Troupes from
primary schools were the first to present their dances and they awed
the audience with their dancing skills. Though they knew they were
competing for a prize, they chose to enjoy themselves and entertain
guests while at it.

Donne Foundation
School, Kwale, and Abuano Primary School, Ogwuashi – Uku, were
outstanding in their costumes and dances, so much so that people
assumed one of them would win the primary school category. The Santa
Maria school troupe, Kwale, which arrived late, however carried the
day, while Abuano School and Donne Foundation came second and third
respectively.

Dances and masquerades

Professional
cultural troupes that vied for honours at the festival were from nine
of the 25 local governments of Delta State inhabited by the Anioma
people. Some groups from Enugu State also participated. Though the
Omadu Boys Dance Troupe danced vigorously, the crowd was more
interested in the antics of the troupe’s masquerade – a male that
dressed and behaved like a beautiful lady.

The Ebubedike of
Ashaka Dancing Troupe’s masquerade however, beat the Omadu masquerade
in the showing off stakes. Though not as good as the Omadu masquerade
in sashaying, the Ebubedike ‘female’ masquerade got familiar with some
students in the audience. A young boy looked the masquerade in the eye
and called out “Fine boy.” It rewarded the cheeky boy by shaking its
raffia skirted buttocks at him.

The second
masquerade of the Ebubedike group commanded the greatest attention. It
was a big scary one that sent little children fleeing into the safety
of their mother’s arms. It also won for the Ebubedike Troupe, the prize
in the masquerade dance category.

The dance
performance that appealed most to the mature members in the audience
was the Agwuba Royal Dance, performed by the Anioma Cultural Troupe.
The stately dance steps were mirrored by philanthropist, Newton
Jibunoh, his wife Elizabeth, and Nkem Ajufo (from the Delta State
Tourism Board) – as the trio joined the dancers on the field.

The group, Ebu
Wonder’s performance won’t be forgotten in a hurry. People wondered
what was in the three feet long box the magicians in red brought into
the field. But they did not wait for long as the box opened to release
a 12-feet-long masquerade which danced around, stood from both ends,
and became as flat as a pile of clothes laid on the floor, before being
bundled back into the box. This wasn’t all the group had to offer. One
man went round with a basket full of water and not one drop leaked from
the basket, to the amazement of the crowd.

The ‘Heavenly
Steppers’, comprising three young girls, incorporated some gymnastics
and the wave making ‘Alanta’ dance into their performance. They
squealed in excitement when they were announced winner of the
contemporary dance category.

The Onu-Anioma
group eventually won the overall first prize at the end of proceedings.
They got a trophy and N300,000 for their efforts. The group, which also
won the prize last year, performed a striking planting and harvesting
dance. The applause which greeted their victory was deafening,
affirming that the audience supported their victory. Uloko Dance Troupe
of Ishiago from Issele Asaba came second, while the African Voices
Group from Kwale, was third.

The wrestlers

While the Egbulu
Akiti group emerged winner in the war dance category, the pantomime
performed by Otu Ita Buisi Biani Troupe from Ogwashi-Uku, won in the
storytelling category.

Accompanied by
drums, the Ekwe Troupe performed a story about how a beautiful maiden’s
pot was broken by two young men. The maiden cried home to her parents
only for both men to come bearing gifts of yam and palm-wine, asking to
marry the maiden. When both men refused to pick from the maiden’s
friends but insisted on her, it was decided that a wrestling match
would settle the matter.

The pantomime was
a good way of announcing the wrestling event which came up next.
However, the wrestlers were too anxious and they contravened some of
the rules of traditional wrestling in their anxiety. The umpire had to
end the event in order not to encourage personal vendetta amongst the
three wrestling groups. The already excited audience was disappointed,
naturally.

Telecommunication company, MTN, partnered with the organisers and
conducted a raffle (separate from OFAAC’s own raffle draw) as part of
the festivities.The fiesta finally ended with the OFAAC raffle draw.
Winners went home with generators, motorcycles, bags of rice, and
standing fans.