Culture

Omenala Igbo

Yam, masquerade, cloth, kola and speech. Admins can change every photo and note.

Ahiajoku

Iri Ji — New Yam

Yam is the king of crops

Iri Ji is the harvest thanksgiving. The eldest or the Eze blesses the new yam before the town eats it. The December carnival remembers it; it does not replace the village festival.

Masquerade

Ijele and Mmanwu

Ancestors who dance

Mmanwu are not carnival floats. Ijele, especially in Anambra, is the giant — often over four metres — hung with figurines, mirrors and cloth.

Dance

Atilogwu

Youth in the air

Atilogwu is an Igbo acrobatic dance. Dancers leap to ekwe, ogene and the talking Oja flute.

Sound

Ogene, ekwe, oja

Iron, wood, breath

Ogene is the forged iron gong. Ekwe is the wooden slit drum. Oja is a small wooden flute that can speak Igbo tones.

Ndoki weavers

Akwete cloth

Ukwa East, Abia

Akwete is woven by Igbo women of Ndoki on upright looms. It is not Ghanaian kente.

Welcome

Ọjị — kola nut

Onye wetara ọjị, wetara ndụ

Cola acuminata is presented on a wooden ọkwa, prayed over, broken and shared. A gathering that skips kola has not yet begun.

Marriage

Igba Nkwụ

Wine, not a white gown

The bride, in coral beads and wrapper, carries palm wine through seated guests until she finds her groom.