In Lagos, Int’t Photography Show, Cultural display, Carnival Herald Black Heritage Festival

When Lagos hosted Italian photographers, American scholars and had a colouful cultural / carnival display at the 2012 Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF) tagged The Black in the Mediterranean Blues, OYASAF's documentary team was there and brings the event in pictures.

The weeklong 2012 LBHF took off on a colourful start, on April 2, 2012 as the State Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), formally opened the new Kongi's Harvest Art Gallery, at the Freedom Park on Broad Street, Lagos Island. Fashola described the event as a festival of color which promotes the culture of the people of Lagos with a proud heritage. It took off amid cultural displays and performances by Igunnuko (Yoruba) and Ekpe (South South) masquerades as well as Agere performers and Gelede dancers of Yoruba origin.     

Egungun masquerade during the Lagos Black Heritage Festival 2012.PHOTO: BY OYASAF DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER, OGUNTIMEHIN ARIYO

  Works of Nigerian and Italian photographers were on display in the exhibition titled Naija-Italia, mounted at the top floor of the Kongi’s Harvest Art Gallery. Some of the works from the photography exhibition were also mounted at Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos. To enrich the event, poetry reading and colloquium, involving Nigerian, Italian, American poets and scholars were held during the weeklong event.

  Participating states across Nigeria which sent delegates and representatives to the event were acknowledge during the festival.

 More prominent were masquerades and troupes from Lagos and other South West states of Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti as they had a ball entertaining the crowd while children were also not exempted.

The carnival aspect of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival 2012. PHOTO: BY OYASAF DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER, OGUNTIMEHIN ARIYO

  The popular performing group, Crown Troupe of Africa confirmed their reputation as an emergent cultural group as its children’s arm known as Footprints of David gave inspiring performance.
The 2012 Lagos Black Heritage Festival which ended with Lagos Carnival at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) was not bereft of entertainment as local stars such as Whizkid and Eldee performed to the people’s delight.

The Freedom Park, Lagos Island, which has been hosting the LBHF and other events, in the last few years was a prison yard where nationalists including Herbert Macaulay and the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo were inmates. It was converted to park by the Lagos State Government three years ago and named Freedom Park, as tribute to everyone who cherishes the sanctity of democracy.