CHAPTER ONE
General Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Festival is an event usually set by a local community. It centers on some unique aspects of that community. It is a set of activities and practice designed to entertain the people of that particular community. Festival of many types serves to meet specific needs as well as toprovide entertainment. These types of celebration offer a belonging to Religious, social or geographical groups. Festivals also remind people of their traditions and in recent times also helps in unity among family. Reversal, intensification, trespassing and abstinence are the four cardinal points of festival behavior (Babcock, 1978).There are many festivals in Nigeria, some of which date to the period before the arrival of the major religions in this ethnically and culturally diverse society (museum collections, 2013). The main Muslim and Christian festivals are often celebrated in ways that are unique to Nigeria or to the people of a particular society (Alade, 2013).
The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has been working with the state to upgrade the traditional Nigeria festival, which may become important sources of tourism revenue. Among the Igbos of Nigeria, there is a wealth of cultural heritage manifested in ceremonies and festivals. Social phenomenon like marriage, birth, farming, harvest, victory and many other social institutions are celebrated. These cultural activities contain the germs of rich poetry and prose, excellent music and lively drama which have not been raised far above their traditional level although present day scholars. Sociologist, Anthropologist and Literary researchers are showing sufficient interest (Onyefulu,2007). Some of these works will be examined in relation to definition, function and structure.
Ejizu (1990) noted that festivals are very popular and recurrent events in traditional African life. He summed it up by defining festivals as: Any special occasion, observance or celebration which may be religious or secular in nature and which is generally marked by merry-making, performance of music and the like. Festivals, according to Onwubiko (2008) can in most cases be said to be a good measure of the intensity of the religious consciousness and cultural richness of a people. He further stated that feasts are the external manifestation of religion itself in every culture and they very often include sacrifice as a prominent part of their ritual. From these definitions, it is clear that festival is a celebration, a feast, a season of musical or other performance which involves joyfulness and merry making. The masquerade on the other hand plays a very significant role in the history and culture of communities in Nigeria. Though back ground origin of masquerade may differ, their overall role like traditional dances can be classified into categories.
The word costume could be refer to wearing of clothes, unique human behavior, or an act that possesses great symbolic meaning in a culture and is closely connected to social interaction (Risa, 2010). Costume serves as a means of communication in social interactions. Individuals through the wearing of costume have historically revealed their personal identity along with others socially. Costumes is not only a form of communication, but can also be viewed as a symbolic behavior. Humans are unique in that they wear clothes and can adorn themselves with expensive objects. Through this act, they creates meaning and passed it on to others. Since symbols were given arbitrary meanings, costumes became symbolic when meaning is assigned to it. Individuals were not usually isolated from others;as a consequence, costume and appearance became a means that influenced all members of the society. Symbols on costumes are a silent but powerful way to quickly communicate multiple facts. People in a society first had to define their costume in cultural terms before they prescribed it with symbolic meaning. Without social interaction,symbolic meaning cannot be impaired. How an individual desired to be perceived was defined by the values that his or her culture upheld. Costume, as perceived symbols, acted to define social groups and provided visual reference information to others.
Throughout history, art and culture have remained two inseparable words (Appiah, 1991). They are interdependent; in which every culture has its own art forms peculiar to the traditions of the society. The society’s culture can be identified through the traditional art forms which form the cultural identity of the people within that community. There are however, non-material elements of culture such as conventional norms and established traditional ways through which ideas are articulated. These may include costumes, literature, songs, drumming and dancing as well as other forms of customary ideas about man and his society. The material aspects of culture include art forms such as basketry, leatherwear, textiles, pottery and sculpture among others. Asihene (1978) was emphatic that, there is not a single cultural performance that ends without the use of a costume. Indeed, costume in a great sense, gives us absolute ideas about both past and present cultures; playing an important role in the socio-religious and political structure in the life of the traditional African. It has thus remained a vital component in appreciating the culture of Africans. Festivals are a composition of non materials and material (or visual) aspects of culture that articulate the embodiment of cultural systems. It is against this background that the function and relevance of costumes in the Ngwa-Ekpe festival has become the focus of this research.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The Ngwa-Ekpe festival which is celebrated by the people of Umuahia and Owerri provinces has art components inadequately documented. The festival is celebrated annually in the first two weeks of the month of January, in remembrance of the God of Njoku (yam God). It is to commemorate the culmination of the year’s rites. As a festival, a number of arts and costumes both material and nonmaterial are paramount in the celebrations. Each of these costumes embodies the beliefs of the Njokus and divinities prevalent in the success of their everyday struggle and thus, have a lot of educational values that need to be harnessed to promote art education and cultural heritage. Some of the costumes similarly, have specific beliefs attached to their usage in the festival apart from ordinary use.
These costumes, due to the fact that they have not been adequately documented, have also not been fully comprehended by the people themselves; taking into consideration their role in the celebrations, why those specific costumes are used. The costumes used in the festival have educational values, that need comprehension, hence the purpose of the research is therefore, to identify the artistic roles and functions of the costumes used in Ngwa-Ekpe festival as an element of cultural sustenance for educational implications.
1.3 Scope of the Study
The study will be restricted to the Ngwas Ekpe festival from cross river state of Nigeria. The Area covering the old Aba division Ngwa, is situated in the tropical rain forest of southern Igbo plain in the present Abia State of Nigeria. It has a population of about one million people and an area of little over nine hundred square miles (2,300 km2). The area is bounded on the north by the present Umuahia zone, on the west by Owerri and Mbaise, on the east by Ikot-Ekene and Abak and on the south by Ukwa. The people are largely farmers, producing yams, cassava, cocoyam, maize and other tropical farm products. Major rural industries include garri and palm produce in addition to Akwete cloth weaving in which most women from the area were engaged. The old divisional headquarters was Aba, a very important commercial and industrial center. Centers of major population concentration include Aba, Mgboko, Osisioma, Umooba, Owerinta, Nbawsi and Okpu-Alangwaomoba.
1.4 Research Methodology
The research methods used in this study is descriptive method. The descriptive method requires that the costumes are vividly analysed. Data obtained using this method provide this study with our primary data. The secondary data were obtained from scholarly opinions (Academic journals), articles, text book, internet sources.
1.5 Aims and Objectives of the Study
The specific aim of the study is to examine the functions and relevance of costumes in Ngwas Ekpe festival.
The objectives are;
1. To identify, describe the various costumes associated with the Ngwas Ekpe Festival.
2. To find out the functions that specific costumes plays and their cultural relevance in the celebration of Ngwas Ekpe festival
3. To examine the relevancy that each costumes play in the celebration of Ngwas Ekpe festival.
1.6 Purpose of the Study
This study becomes necessary in order to identify the functions and relevance of costumes in Ngwas Ekpe festival.
1.7 Significance of the Study
The importance of this study cannot be overemphasized as its findings would serve as reference material for students and researchers for further studies. And also empower others alike to have a renewed orientation and be equipped with the necessary information on the essence of Ekpe festival and even give them the zeal to want to attend.
Secondly, the findings of the study would promote cultural education among the youth in the Ngwa area while creating cultural awareness about African cultural values. And also serves as an input for Ekpe festival organisers so as to make the festival more attractive and more accommodating so that people from different part of the world can participate in the festival.
Thirdly, the study would also serve as a source of information for policy makers towardsnational cultural festival development.
Finally, the study would enhance the cultural education of art, particularly the performing and visual arts. And also assist the students so that they would be better equipped with the necessary information on the function and relevance of the festival and in so doing attend as one of their excursion.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
The limitations of the study is based on the short period of time available in making the research, errors and the distance of the study area that could be encountered in gathering data from the sources of research. Also one of the limitations encountered in carrying out this research work is the issue of finance which is a core reason for not having a direct access to the information needed.
1.9 Conceptual Classification
Costumes: : an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period, person, place, culture, occasion or thing.
Festival: A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community or society and centering on some characteristic aspect of that community and its religion or traditions. It is often marked as a local or national holiday etc.
Ekpe Festival: Masquerade festival is peculiar to Ngwas people and it’s celebrated on yearly basis.
Ngwas: an Igbo group, constitute the largest and most populous sub-ethnicity, or clan, in southeastern Nigeria
Relevance: the importance of something in relation to a situation or person or significant in that situation or to that person.
Function: the special purpose or activity for which a thing exists or is used.