The International Carnival
Calabar which is distinct from the traditional street parade, helped to
make the 2016 carnival the best ever, despite coming close to being
derailed by bad weather, reports Demola Ojo…
The performances by different bands and
troupes at the U.J Eusuene Stadium in Calabar on December 29 last year
were spectacular. Drawn from different countries across the world, the
troupes wowed the audience with feats that were entertaining and surreal
in equal measure.
Some looked downright impossible, from
the fire-eating Ghanaians to the pole climbers from Kenya, from the
Croatians on stilts to the acrobats from Ethiopia.
Others entertained through music,
costumes and dance. The Brazilians – crowd favourites and repeat
visitors to Calabar – come to mind in this regard. Rwanda and Burundi
too, with their resounding drums and choreography. The energy of the
South African troupe was notable, especially the plus-size man who
jumped, twisted and rolled on the tracks with incredible dexterity.
The war dance with swords and shields
from the Turks was another highlight. The audience was especially
involved in this act, as they helped in bellowing the war cry.
Nigeria wasn’t left out of the
International Carnival, with the street parade champions, the Seagull
band, representing alongside accomplished acrobats from Imo. It was a
fusion of different cultures, expressed especially through a joint
performance by a Spanish ballerina and the Ethiopian acrobats.
It was breathless back-to-back entertainment at its peak. Pure magic!
But as awe-inspiring as the
International Carnival was, it was just one day of many. Calabar was
already agog from the street parade by five bands the previous day, and
the Bikers’ Carnival a day before that.
Looking back at 2016 as a whole, it is
safe to say without any doubt that Carnival Calabar was the biggest
tourism event in Nigeria and the largest street party in Africa. The
latter statement is not a tagline but a statement of fact.
Climate Change
Truth be told, it didn’t seem like it
would be the resounding success it turned out to be when the month-long
carnival and festivals was about to climax with the much-vaunted
International Carnival.
For the second consecutive year
(coinciding with Governor Ben Ayade running the show), international
bands and troupes entertained a mammoth audience while competing for
prize money. This new concept is an addition to the street parade the
indigenous carnival bands traditionally compete in.
Every carnival has a unique theme that
each of the bands interprets through costumes, dance, drama and floats.
It may be all fun and fanfare on the surface, but there is always a
message conveyed. This past edition, just like the previous one, the
theme of the Carnival was Climate Change.
Initially, repeating the theme seemed
like a personal obsession for Prof Ayade. He is a renowned
environmentalist who has invented groundbreaking solutions in
groundwater remediation. He has been chairman of Cross River State’s
Ecological Fund and has led African governors to a UN-organised summit
on climate change. Perhaps, his background as an environmentalist was
unnecessarily influencing the choice of theme.
Again looking back, and considering the
events that occurred in the build-up to the carnival, there was – and
there still is – a pressing need to highlight the reality of climate
change.
The choice of theme turned out to be apt
as without warning, a heavy Harmattan haze descended on large swathes
of Nigeria from December 26. Visibility was low, flights were delayed
and cancelled, itineraries were altered.
Suddenly, it was a herculean task
getting more than a dozen groups representing different countries to the
venue of a competition they had waited a year for. Some of the bands,
like the VaiVai Carnival Band from Brazil, had up to 40 individuals.
The race to get so many foreigners to
Calabar safely was on. It needed all the ingenuity the Carnival
Commission and other stakeholders could muster. Some cities were worse
hit than others by the haze.
By a funny twist of fate, flights to
Calabar were a no-no. The options included flying to Uyo, Port-Harcourt
and other airports close by, then travelling to Calabar by road. But
leaving Lagos and Abuja, and landing at these other airports was no
forgone conclusion. There was still the possibility of making the
journey from Lagos by road, if all else failed. The International
Carnival was almost over before it started.
With hindsight, it is easy to see the
upside to the flight disruption. The Brazilian band, as well as troupes
from Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi and a few others flew into Port-Harcourt
from Lagos on the night of the 27th. In tow were some Nigerian
celebrities and journalists, this writer inclusive.
Road Trip
Road trips are usually exciting and are
opportunities to bond. It is also the best way for tourists to explore a
country.Unfortunately, the road trip culture is dying in Nigeria
because of bad roads. Surprisingly though, there is no recollection of a
bad patch on the approximately four-hour trip from Port-Harcourt to
Calabar via Uyo.
The surprise (and feel good emotions for
yours truly) started from the Port Harcourt airport to the hotels in
the GRA part of town where the international troupes were lodged. It was
lit all the way. This is not to be taken for granted in our climes.
Some of the other countries had to be
ferried through different routes, with the last batch arriving Calabar a
few hours to the event. Some countries like Zimbabwe couldn’t make it.
Only two members from the Ukrainianband made it. This meant that the
International Carnival that was billed to start for 7pm started a few
hours late. However, for those who did, it was certainly worth the wait.
VaiVai Encore
At the end of visual spectacle, the
Tobias VaiVai Band of Brazil came out on top, with the Ghanaian and
Rwandan dancers coming second and third respectively in the competition
that featured 13 countries. However, he true winners are the government
of Cross River for put together a stunning show, and the audience that
witnessed it.
Challenges
It goes without saying that there’s room
for improvement. The bigger the carnival gets, the more important it is
for infrastructure to keep up. Calabar certainly needs more
international standard hotel rooms. It is also imperative that the city
and the state, take advantage of the influx of visitors to sell other
tourism products in the state. Making Cross River an all-year round
destination, rather than the month of December alone, is the task.
The challenge shouldn’t be the
government’s alone. Opportunities abound for the private sector in areas
of transportation, tour guiding, destination management, souvenirs,
hotels and more.
The future looks bright and at this
rate, the carnival can only get bigger and better. The Cross River
government should be proud of successfully hosting a great event.
Beyond all the fun and entertainment
however, the theme of the carnival shouldn’t be lost on us. Climate
change is real and the earlier we come up with solutions to help
mitigateits effects, the better for us all. If it takes Nigeria’s
biggest tourism productto bring attention to it, then so be it.
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