In this time and age?

From time immemorial, there has always been a discord between light and darkness, the spiritual and the secular, the local and the international among others. This battle of ideals may never come to an end. The world, with the aid of technological advancement, is a global village. Therefore, on a sojourn to Ota, Ogun state, it was very confounding when my eyes beheld masquerades. The funniest part is that the masquerades were not even as fine as the Eyo Maquerade, for instance. One may want to ask if the supposedly archaic cultural norm of masquerades is still relevant in this time and age.
This is in no way berating traditionalism; it is just a musing about the possibility of having a blend of the traditional and the modern. By implication, one may be looking at the possibility of having a masquerade that will be technologically-driven. For example, what s wrong in having a masquerade that is clad in a colorful costume, arrayed with lights of many shades and enhanced with some fascinating sounds?
Don’t the holy scriptures say that one messenger should not inhibit the work of another. The most saddening part of the whole story about Nigerian masquerades is that they have, long ago, ceased to be ‘gods’, they now constitute nuisance, on the major streets (in Ogun state, Ota in particular). The arrival of the masked ones is usually heralded by hooligans. All these contribute to the show of shame some of our traditional practices have become.
The center of discussion is not really about the eradication of traditional ways in favor of the modern. It is a solicitation for the advancement of tradition (if we have to) along the lines of modernism and ‘commonsensism.’ After all, Haruna Ishola, the Yoruba traditional singer of yore, sang that ‘Baye se n yi, ka ma ba yi’ meaning that ‘Everyone should roll will time’s change.’ No wonder, there is now the ‘funkified’ version of Apala music.
It’s been discovered that nations that have achieved milestone in trade and technology were able to do because they have been able to clothe the local in modern. Nigeria as a country might ‘rebrand’ herself if she, for example, properly brands ijebu garri into becoming a world-certified and world-acclaimed product. What if we began to export our very own groundnut cake – ‘kulikuli’ to the world? All that is first needed is that we have faith in our product.
In this age and time, the world awaits the manifestation of Nigerians. We are too loaded to fail. Nigerians, arise and shine.



Olofinlua Oyindamola