Olanrewaju Aminat
The Beautiful And Fascinating Igunnuko Cultural Display
One of the most remarkable aspects of culture is its incredible diversity. Across the globe, there are countless cultures, each with its unique customs, traditions, and ways of life.
The beautiful display of masquerade in Africa puts glamour to festivals and occasions but in Nigeria, the occasional appearance of Igunnuko thrills the audience more because it’s not a regular masquerade.
The tall, graceful shape of the masquerade, their ability to telescope into any height, and their other amazing display of agility, make the masquerade and their performance a fascinating sight.
Igunnuko is the tallest masquerade in the world, originally from the Nupe people of present-day Kwara, Niger, Kogi, and part of Abuja and its festival is one of the celebrations that links many Yoruba and Nupe tribes together.
Without distorting history, Igunnuko was originally the Ndako Gboya culture festival, practiced by Nupe people every year in Niger State, Kwara State, and Kogi State.
Yoruba are not known to be affiliated with Igunnuko until later in 1805 when Yaisa Ayeni went to his hometown in Patigi, Niger state, and brought the Igunnuko (Ndako Gboya)culture to Lagos State.
Interestingly the Igunnuko Masquerade doesn’t just appear to the public without
performing some rituals, it’s believed that they are gods and deities and needed to perform rituals before they are seen.
The ritual performance involves that a ritual is first done on the pot drum before anyone beats it.
The young and old men will go to uproot a living tree known as ‘KUSO’ any place that trees are dragged or passed with means a lot.
When the festival is on the igunnuko (NUPE)masquerade dresses in robes and ribes and visits important people. Once an Igunnuko is sighted, one has to remove his hat or shoes.
Ndako Gboya received a new name when it was brought to Lagos and first settled at odo-oba (Oju oto) as Yoruba people copied and re-name it Igunnuko so that it wouldn’t be known as Nupe Masquerade.
