Compiled by Chidimma C. Okeke
Ojude Oba is a Yoruba festival held in Ijebu Ode in Ogun State. It is a festival whereby different cultural age groups known as Regberegbe parades at the front of the king’s palace on the third day of Eid al Kabir festival popularly referred to as “Ileya” in Yoruba language.
Ojude Oba which means king’s fore-court in Yoruba language could also be translated as “majestic outing.”
It is usually celebrated with Pomp and pageantry by about million people from different parts of the world and Nigeria especially those from Yoruba origin and most especially by people of Ijebu descent.
Ojude Oba is said to be one of the most glamorous cultural and spiritual festivals in Ijebuland and in Ogun State in general. This is a celebration that has traditional, cultural, religious, social, and military significance. It has been celebrated for more than 100 years.
According to oral historical accounts, the festival began when Balogun Kuku, one of the leading personalities in the community, accepted Islam. He decided to gather his friends, families, and well-wishers to pay homage to the king for giving them the opportunity to practice their religion peacefully
The style and colors associated with the festival rank among the most celebrated cultural festivals in Nigeria. Ijebu sons and daughters, Muslim and non-Muslim, always look forward to this event. It is an age long tradition.
The ceremony takes Muslims and non-Muslims go to the Awujale palace, singing and dancing with the principal chiefs of the town and riding on horses to pay homage to the Awujale, no matter his religious affiliation.
Artistic Beauty of the Ojude Oba
Art plays a significant role in the Ojude Oba festival. It is one of the reasons people from completely different cultural settings find the festival very interesting.
The artistic beauty of Ojude Oba reflects in the manner of dressing of the different age groups, music and musical instruments, the design on the horses of the Balogun families, the pattern of the banners and fans used in the ceremony, and others.
Dressing
In many Yoruba societies, dresses or the traditional robes play important roles in ceremonies. It is one of the ways to display one’s economic status within the society.
In Ojude Oba, the age grades try to beat one another through the kind of dress they wear. Different age grades dresses in the most expensive kinds of cloth known to the people of the community.
In the age grade that comprises men and women, all are supposed to dress in the same pattern of cloth. The sheer impact of bulk and color and stripes created by an assemblage of individuals in close proximity, each person robed in identical pattern and hue, is indeed considerable.
The attire worn in the previous festival would not be repeated in the next festival. This is to show their economic status and wealth and make a statement that they are doing fine in their age grade.
Traditionally, the favorite colors of the Yoruba are tan, the rich natural tone of the silk known as sanyan, and blue, ranging from the palest to the deepest blue black obtainable from the indigo dye pots.
It is a predictable festival that still manages to create a certain uniqueness in every edition. It is a tourism spectacle that is yet to be fully appreciated.
