AFRICAN CULTURE: THE BEST 21st CENTURY MASQUERADE FOUND IN UTCHI COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

By Victor Bieni

Culture is as old as man. God loves traditions and orderliness, that is discipline. Before the creation of mankind on earth, God has created other creatures that he will put under the control of man which he created in his own image. Culture is defined as people ways of life, or the way people live there life generally.  Peoples culture varies depending on quarters, communities, Local Governments, ethnic groups, states, Regions, countries and Continents in terms of Marriage, Technology, Education, Arts and Crafts, Buildings, Food and Agriculture, dressing, Language and others to mention but a few.

Categorically, there was the existence of Culture and traditions in the Garden of Eden when God  gave a commandment to  Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruits.  Archaeologists, a group of scientist that studies human evolution and fossils said some time ago in the beginning of 21^st century that they discovered the Garden of Eden in Kenya one of the African countries. It then means that Culture had its origin from Kenya. But contrary to this opinion, some historians argued that World civilization started from Egypt in the early 5^th century, which is one of the African Countries.

Certainly, with the above reports from researchers, scientists we can now say that we have the empirical and forensic evidence that life started in Africa. It then means that Culture and tourism started in Africa then spread to other continents of the World.

Utchi Community in Delta state has proven to be one of the communities in Africa that is still in tune with its culture and traditions. Basically, Anioma People of Delta state is excellently keeping the cultural heritage of their ancestors to the core as Utchi Community emerges the best in Africa in  terms of MASQUERADE DANCE going by judgment as an eye witness reporter in this episode, having also witnessed the best in late 1990s, Masquerade called EBU WONDER.

In the early 1990s during  my primary school days till the beginning of 21^st Century, I mean early 2012 I left my Village for a greener pasture in the city, my hobbies were entertainment, farming, swimming, writing, Arithmetic,  Takwando, Karate, Athletics and other Gymnastics  to mention but a few. In the area of Entertainment as a Child I don’t play with Community festivals in my locality, ENUANI CLAN, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta state. Most importantly, the MASQUERADE DANCE is always my target.  The last I visited the entertainment dance of a Masquerade was that of OFFAAC  16^th Cultural  Anniversary which was held on 22^nd  of April, 2019 before  this Utchi’s ONOLI MASQUERADE DANCE last week on  Saturday, 27^th April, 2019.

Utchi  Community  Ulor Festival and Onoli Masquerade is one of a kind in African Continent in terms of preserving our Cultural heritage. Utchi is one of the biggest communities in Ndokwa East Local Government of Delta State.  It consists of seven Villages which includes: Owelle Okwubedo Utchi, Owelle Obalu Utchi,  Umuochi Utchi, Oboma Utchi, Asaba Utchi, Onicha Utchi, Obecha Utchi

No doubt, as a Cultural expert and a reporter on Saturday, 27^th May, 2019 I set out to witness the Utchi’s Ulor Festival with an adventure in my mind to see the Masquerade we were told that is now the best 21^st century Masquerade in Africa to compare it with the one I knew that is called EBU WONDER which we  the villagers then  as at  2012 adjudged to be  the best  before I changed my residency to Asaba.

 In a brief history of Utchi Communitry, I was told that the people migrated from NRI, present  Aguata Local Government in Anambra state in the early 16^th century to settle in Delta state. The first settlers  were Umuochi  people of Utchi, second settlers were Oboma Utchi,  and others while the last settlers were the Obeche people of Utchi. The Community is blessed with natural resources such as crude oil,  an oil producing Community in Ndokwa Nation with  arable land for Agriculture with bumper produce, enormous population, geographical location in riverine, rural setting and serene environment good for tourism and recreation exercise.

The people of Utchi are predominantly farmers, fishermen, traders and a few civil, public servants s. Utchi is  one of the oil rich communities in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta state. A community in their thousands in terms of population density and size is located in a boundry between Delta state,  Rivers state, Bayelsa state, Anambra state by the River Niger. It is only accessible through Oko  in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta state, Opkai Kingdom in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta state and  in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state. My movement to the Community in terms of relating to the public the level of stress  of using sea or water transportation by the network system after miles in Anambra Communities. We boarded a speed boat that took us across the River Niger to other Delta Communities and down to Utchi Kingdom.

 Poor access Roads in Delta state and good Road Network system from Anambra state has made Deltans to loose the benefits of the huge Agricultural produce such as vegetable, yam, plantain pepper, cassava, maize and others to mention but a few to Anambra state markets thereby reducing our  state IGR,  food production capacity, or surplus, economic development and others.

Apart from the disdain the Community has towards crop called ‘’Cocoa yam’’, and Animal called ‘’Sheep ‘’ THAT IS FORBIDDEN IN THE LAND which is their tradition. There is a very interesting part enjoyable celebration that looks like ancestral worship but very embracing and acceptable by all social strata of the Community and any lively human being created by God. ONOLI is the Community Masquerade being celebrated during the ULOR  FESTIVAL, though we have other minor masquerades like Odogwu, Akuneshi- Enyi to mention but a few of them. The ONOLI  Masquerade is one of a kind in Africa and of international standard capable of culture and tourism of Delta state, Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the World.

The Culture and values of Utchi people is their Festivals. The community annual Festival is a fun for everybody; the old, young, children, foreigners and those from other communities. It is a time of happiness for everyone, a time of celebration for farmers  as they call off their planting season, a time to retreat,  thank God for not sustaining injury during the farming season for bumper harvest. The President-General of Utchi Kingdom,  Prince  Igwe Nzekwe and other Chieftaincy tittle holders in the Kingdom, Mr. Christopher Obiosa, ONOLI  MASQUERADE DANCE Chairman, and other Traditional title holders  in the Community which includes: Chief Obiefuna Martins,  Mr. Chukwuma  Nduka ,  Mr Barry Uche Omenuwa  who spoke to me in a brief interview revealed that the Community do celebrates four different kinds of Festival.  The first one is the ULOR Festival, which is celebrated in April in remembrance of the end of planting season without mechanical injury in the farm, and celebration of bumper harvest. The second type of Festival is the IFEJOKWU Festival, which is being celebrated by  Owali  title holders, Men, eldest men at  the end of May every year by Traditional title holders, the festival of OGBUGIs, followed by Nneosa Fishing Festival.  Nneosa Festival is being celebrated by IGBU title holders to appease the ancestors for  the growth and development of the Community as well as mark  a time to support the less- privilege groups in the Community. These festivals coupled with the New yam festival depicts a period of bumper harvest for the productive sectors of  the Community. The Celebration  is always  on yearly basis with a heart full of happiness, unity, love, and support for the less-privilege members of the Community. The third is the ONWU Festival, which is being marked in July every year, a festival to celebrate the orphans and to appease the ancestors for their growth and development. The fourth Festival of the Utchi  Community is that of DIANEZE   DANCE, which is celebrated in August or September every year by the ADAs, eldest Women in the Community as part of their New yam Festivals. This is also the time all the Okpala’s and the King eats New  yam in their Community.  All these Festivals are not limited to any age groups.

The Cultural Significance of this Masquerade is that, this the only annual ritual, Festival that attracts all the illustrious sons and daughters, tourists, foreigners to the community for affinity , unity and happiness in the month of April, which is rotational amongst the seven villages in Utchi Kingdom. The Community MASQUERADE DANCE which I discovered  is a unifying factor, promotes peace, oneness, love amongst community stakeholders in the Community as indigenes uses the opportunity to come home, partake in the fun-fare. No doubt, the huge crowd, enormous population that graced the occasion to watch them ONOLI MASQUERADE DANCE is far bigger than some ethnic Cultural Festivals is capable of bringing, attracting the attention of international Communities if properly harnessed or brought to limelight. This ONOLI DANCE in Utchi Community is precisely from one of the seven Villages called OWELLE OKWUBEDO UTCHI.

Though it took time for the ONOLI Masquerade to appear for the dance after many other different Masquerades might have danced, followed by a gun –shot that rend the air to welcome its presence and remove the already placed restrictions on Women to had joined the dance.  This is because the culture of the Community does not allow Women at the vicinity before the appearance of the Masquerade, but can join at the sound of a traditional gun-shut, then ONOLI Masquerade appeared for a dance in the community.  To this end, the Masquerade which is as tall as the highest electric pole with a baby face, with the best dancing styles, no human remote but that of the supernatural, well dressed with 12^th century African attires , performed excellently  without any element of violence like a sleeping new born- baby, very harmless and interesting with 16^th century traditional songs, beating, sounds of traditional drums very tempting to go to war, dance full of  stylish and aesthetics admiration

, a crowd full of historical facts full and  at the end the performance in that Festival was best in Africa. The Masquerade before appearance does not allow the

The Culture of every community is their identity. Any Community that neglects its culture is dead. Therefore, my advice is that since culture is inherited from our fore fathers, ancestors, it should be preserved to be handed over from generation to generation by every community stakeholders in Utchi Kingdom, Ndokwa Nation, Anioma Nation, Delta state, Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the World. Every Community should be proud of their Culture and tradition.