BY JAPHET ALAKAM
From the 2nd to the 9th of April, 2012 culture lovers in Nigeria will be treated to another cultural extravaganza as Lagos State host the 2012 Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF) .

The 2012 Black Heritage Festival with the theme, The Black Mediterranean will as usual celebrate African creativity within a carnivalesque of traditional and contemporary Dance, Music, Painting and Photo Exposition, Drama, Beauty pageant, Symposium and other artistic and intellectual offerings.

The opening ceremony that will showcase masquerades from all parts of western Nigeria will take place on the 2nd at Freedom Park, Lagos ,while the carnival will take place on 9th at Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Lagos.

Speaking at a press briefing last week, the festival consultant, Prof. Wole Soyinka gave reasons why the festival is different from other festivals. According to him, “in its effort to broaden and deepen the knowledge of Africa of herself, both historically and contemporaneously, always within the context of Recall and Celebration, the Lagos Black Heritage Festival has embarked upon to no less a concept than the mapping out of the Black African presence in the Mediterranean.”

Continuing, he stated that the LBHF 2012 will launch the series with a cultural exploration of – The Italian Connection. On the choice of Italy, Soyinka pointed out that it will start with Italy because of her black corporation , her exploits in Eritrea and Ethiopia and the way the Italian government returned some of the stolen artifacts. He also disclosed that next year it will be Portugal followed by Brazil .

Soyinka further assured that this year’s festival will be unique as it is loaded with a lot of activities. “What academic do in terms of history, LBHF will do in terms of celebration.”He noted.

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Disun Halloway,observed that many people do not know much about the festival. According to him, “it is a week long event that is packed with engaging activities. It will go on fully from the 2nd and Freedom Park, Lagos will host most of the events, while others will take place in some selected venues.”