By Demola Ojo
The climate change themed edition of this year’s Carnival Calabar followed the tradition of interpretation through dance and drama. But there were new dimensions.
The flight into Calabar the day before the eleventh annual carnival was an indication of what to expect. Many of the passengers were from outside Nigeria, a great number of them members of one international troupe or the other. Seated next to me was a disc jockey from Belize, an island country in the Americas with a population of little over 300,000, and one of a dozen countries represented at this year’s carnival.
Deejay right? What did he know about Nigerian music? Surprisingly, he knew quite a lot, reeling off names of the usual suspects; P-Square, D’banj, Wizkid, Davido…
“Iyanya’s ‘Kukere’ was the first Nigerian song to go mainstream in Belize,” he said, explaining that soon after, there was an explosion of Nigerian sound in the Caribbean country.
“What’s the meaning of Kukere?” asked two excited female Belizean band members seated in the row ahead. They had been chattering all through the flight, obviously having a good time in Nigeria.
“Why don’t you ask Iyanya himself?” was the jocular retort from another part of the plane. Coincidentally, the afro-pop artist was on the same flight, heading home to participate in the carnival; he was recently designated an ambassador of what is now acknowledged as Africa’s largest street party.
Added Spice
For an event that has been held to great acclaim for a decade, the challenge is to remain dynamic and avoid stagnation. There’s a new sheriff in town. Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade infused a new dimension into his first carnival as governor with a bikers’ parade, an international carnival day and a green carnival which involved the planting of trees. Gone were the cultural carnival and the children carnival.
It wasn’t the first time international bands participated at the carnival but it was the first time a day was dedicated solely for the purpose.
First off the conveyor belt of new innovations at the carnival though, was the bikers’ carnival. With about 1000 bikers drawn from Nigeria, other parts of Africa, Australia, China, Canada, the US and more, the biker’s carnival served as an appetizer for the main event the day after.
The 12-kilometre ride was led by Governor Ayade, the bikers performed a wide aray of stunts to the delight of the ecstatic crowd that lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the extreme sports enthusiasts. The idea of the new addition was to encourage tourists with a capacity to spend. For Governor Ayade, the bikers’ parade creates a platform for those who have the wealth to buy classic bikes to participate in the carnival.
In spite of the novelty of the bikers’ carnival, the main event still followed the tradition of the five carnival bands competing by interpreting the carnival theme through dance and drama. Freedom Band, Bayside Band, Seagull band, Passion 4 and the defending champions, Masta Blasta, all took to the streets for a 12-kilometre walk that drew attention to the effects of climate change, which was the theme chosen by the environmentalist governor.
The procession started early afternoon on D-day. The mood was somewhat tentative after the flag-off, almost like no one was sure what to expect. Freedom kicked off, then Bayside. However, the moment Seagull band, led by band leader Florence Ita-Giwa showed up, the energy levels increased tenfold. As usual, there were famous faces, especially from Nollywood, in her entourage.
By the time the carnival train got to Mary Slessor roundabout – the first stop for performances to be judged – the city was in a frenzy. This was amplified by cameo appearances by some of the international bands. There were more of these stops for performances; at the Governor’s booth on Marian road, then MCC road and finally at the J.U. Usuene Stadium.
Lights Out
The Governor’s booth is one of the more important stops on the carnival train. Each band spends ample time showing off dance moves, acrobatics, magic tricks and dramatics. More often than not, dusk falls before the bands are done there.
There was a notable incident this year as the usually reliable street lights that illuminate the performances went out for a considerable length of time. On one hand, it hinted at the lack of a backup plan.
On the other, the hitch helped throw light on the indomitable spirit of the carnival as for close to an hour, revellers and acrobats went about their business seemingly oblivious to the challenge of darkness. The bikes came in handy at this point as they served as emergency floodlights until the lights came on.
By that point, it was obvious it would take nothing short of a cataclysmic event to halt the street party that attracts tourists from within and outside Nigeria. The clean, brightly-lit, well-manicured streets of Calabar were one huge celebration.
Local Music, International Flavour
The music played at the carnival is a barometer for what is popular in the region in particular and the country to an extent. For a procession that drew on till 5 am the next morning (about 18 hours from the start!), it’s natural for a few songs to get repeat plays. Harrysong’s Reggae Blues was one tune that got played multiple times. Its popularity was highlighted as a couple of the international bands infused the tune into their performances.
The international carnival, held a day after the five carnival bands had slugged it out on the streets, was restricted to the stadium. It was a night affair, starting around nine till the early hours the next day. The excitement level was sill sky-high though.
The Vai Vai Samba group from Brazil made a second appearance after an acclaimed debut three years ago. The performance of the 30-strong group – a mix of crooners, dancers and drummers – justified the frenzied reception they got.
Belize, participating for the first time, showed promise of more to come. There was representation from African countries like Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi. They all went heavy with the drums accompanied by traditional dance. From the Kenyans, it was a reenactment of how Massai celebrate when they kill a lion. The Ghanaians earned applause with a frenetic choreography.
For variety, there were performers from France and Spain, while flag twirlers from Italy displayed rare skill.
The added flavour from the international groups was well-accepted and is surely a foretaste of bigger events to come. As the carnival expands however, the city must also grow to accommodate it, with pressure on infrastructure bound to increase.
Growing Pains
For example, the influx of tourists exposed the paucity in accommodation options. It was tough getting quality rooms as rates were outrageously jacked up without commensurate value; from the Noble Hotel on Parliamentary road where there was neither wi-fi nor POS machines, to the TINAPA Resort where wi-fi was totally unreliable, coupled with faulty elevators.
Apparently, there isn’t much business for most of the year so there’s little motivation to keep standards high. The period of the carnival is seen as an opportunity to maximize gains. With the carnival getting bigger, the hospitality outfits need to step up.
Partying Hard, Going Green
On the whole, the carnival still retains its pull. The spirit remains strong. The chosen theme of climate change was a smart move in raising awareness for an increasingly important issue in a fun way.
Calabar knows how to throw a party. It wasn’t just on the streets. There were many private bashes at residences and in clubs around town. The All Black Everything party hosted by Iyanya and his label mates at the Mayfair lounge of the Channelview Hotel the night of the international carnival was one of them.
It was a classy crowd with so many beautiful women. It was obviously good business for the establishment as the clientele matched the energy and the ostentatiousness found in Lagos clubs. Firecrackers heralding buckets of champagne? Check.
In the end, Passion 4 band, the most successful in the history of the carnival, emerged winner, halting Masta Blasta’s recent domination. Passion 4 is represented by the colour green; a fitting victor for this year’s competition which highlighted the merits of going green.
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