RECENTLY, Ikelebe Sports Arena Auchi, the Edo North Senatorial District Headquarters was a melting point for over a dozen Masquerades and  casts of traditional troupes at the beacon of the Centre for Afenmai Heritage & Cultural Studies, a creative outfit for the promotion, propagation and documentation of art and culture of the Afenmai people.

The six Local Government Council Areas were represented with two troupes each and it was a colourful edition embellished with heavy thudding strokes of the drums, dexterous and enticing dance steps in addition to an exhibition on sculpturing, skin decoration techniques, and masquerade costume production.

*Ikao Masquerades and casts of traditional troupes at the Centre

In his opening address, the Founder and Director of the Centre for Afenmai Heritage and Cultural Heritage, Prince Alhaji Usman Abudah, a professional journalist, writer and a disciple in the creative industry, said the outing was to unfold the naturalness of the people through the Lyrical formats in masquerade presentation equally sustained in foot steps and instrumentation: “The emergence of the centre to assist in a thorough approach to unveil the rural based artiste and artisan disciples of the often-forgotten aspect of a people’s past and also to document several historical locations that need to be fully put on record in various forms that the government alone cannot pursue due to its other numerous obligations.

He recalled that the centre had in the past, promoted the artistry of Afemai land with the attendance of Coja 2003 in Abuja with the Ikao Masquerades also with the participation in the Lagos Black Heritage Festival in 2010 with a 45 member contingent, numerous publications on artistic themes in various Nigerian newspapers and periodic clips on festivals on some Nigerian television stations.

The chairman of the occasion, H.R.H. Alhaji Aliru H. Momoh, Ikelebe III, the Otaru of Auchi kingdom recalled the dogmatic efforts of the founder and director of the centre in promoting the artistry of the Afenmai people and called on him to sustain the pursuit. Oba Danesi, the Aidonogie of South Ibie Kingdom also graced the occasion.

The Executive Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who was the Special Guest of Honour, emphasized the imperative expectation from the people in ensuring that their past should never be allowed to go into oblivion and stressed the state government’s preparedness and willingness to partner with the centre in promoting the art and culture of the Afemai people.

A lecture titled “ Masquerades Don’t Lie: Oshiomhole As a Case Study” was delivered by Dr. John Edemode of the Mass Communication Department of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi.

Constance Bolivia Osigbemhe Memorial Band added flavour to the entire concept  when he played the ever-green tracks produced by his late father.