By Jide Oguntoye
Hitherto in Oye-Ekiti of Ekiti State, Oro Oye (traditionally known as Ode and pronounced as r; d;) used to be a major annual crowd-pulling carnival, a glamour, illustrated in some scintillating dance-steps compelled by gong-beats, understood and mastered by the traditional Ejio Society members and thousands of their admirers.
The music and dance steps were usually so captivating and invariably imitated by an ever-growing, teaming crowd, which would stop from point-to-point for prayers in an annual popular ritual trip round Oye town but only once a year!
The trip which usually started from an initial ritual point in the bush, was usually led by the Obalodo, wearing a crown adorned with daintily fixed feathers like a royalty.
If you refer to the Obalodo as the head of Ilodo family, you would be right; if you refer to him as Obalodo of Oye-Ekiti, you would also, surely, be right, because Obalodo was usually embraced in Oye-Ekiti as a distinct head of a family who annually sowed smiles and joy around Oye town. He was adored and respected for it by all and thus was invariably rated higher than his other counterpart heads of families without malice to all such others.
The popularity of Obalodo was most perfectly illustrated in the song: “Uwo l’Oye jo i de; Uwo l’Oye jo i de o; oyi gbe, Uwo l’Oye jo i de!!!”, a song actually adopted for Kabiyesi Oloye, who was actually the star of the Ode day as he would be summoned out of the Obalodo’s premises at the end of Ode Day activities; an indication that the whole of Oye people had eagerly waited for the pick of the Ode Day’s activities!
This song would apparently not the only song which featured on an Ode Day but it was the most heart-warming, the most popular, most memorable festive tune!
Beside Ode Festival or Ode Day, the equally popular and memorable occasions in Oye-Ekiti would be Christmas and New Year.
Even Eid-el-Kabir or Ileya won’t measure up because of the lower density of Muslim population in Oye-Ekiti.
“Uwo l’Oye jo i de; Uwo l’Oye jo i de o; oyi gbe Uwo l’Oye jo i de” used to last longer in our brains as youths in those days, longer than our brains could retain other social or religious songs.
It used to come as an annual carnival but would certainly be cheered by many if it could be more frequent.
Now, the burden that awaits the the new Obalodo would appear to be more than that of staging impressive Ode Festivals for the rites had had to wait for 26 years before he emerged on the seat of Obalodo, just on December 7th, 2024!
He would now have to woo the youths, most of whom had not known Ode Festival practically as his strength would be drawn from their support; he would have to modernize Ode, so to say, and uphold really actively his family’s Christian faith!
Did I say Christian faith? Yes, the Obalodo family had always been a Christian family who were just equally in love with family tradition!
This was what explained the
grand Thanksgiving Service the new Obalodo held at St Michael’s Anglican Church, Oye-Ekiti, on December 8, 2024, to cap his installation!
It is true that many had wondered why it had taken such a long time for Ode Day to return while a few had wished it never returned at all; depending on which of the divide one had belonged.
Now, there shouldn’t have been any divide concerning the acceptance of Ode Festival but for the constant clash of our different types of religious faiths! Some still don’t want to see Ode Festival as an annual carnival but as a mere fetish show to be forgotten.
The camp of those who are opposed to traditional festivals had steadily swelled in Oye-Ekiti since Christianity and Islam were embraced but it was virtually only Ode Festival that was speared and embraced.
All other family gods had been jettisoned or ignored for the two prevailing faiths.
While Obalodo won’t jettison Ode Festival for its wide acceptance, he had also embraced Christianity actively; the very popular Obalodo’s predecessor would perform his roles on Ode Day and not shark his responsibilities as a prominent member of St. Michael’s Anglican Church; suffering no hindrance; until he still had to quit the church for another, somehow, due to the same old difference in faith.
If that had led to the 26 years of break in Oro Ode celebration, credit must go to the current Obalodo somehow for doing his best to mark the Ode day, annually, if nominally, within the Obalodo compound; talk of his in-born interest!
With him, a new Obalodo installed, Oye-Ekiti can now expect a full-blast of Ode Festival this year, hoping that the grand installation ceremony with the features of a crowded Thanksgiving Service at which a Lord Bishop friend of his presided and a grand reception that followed, an equally grand return of the real Oro Ode must now come to stay!
Why? Because Oye people deserves a return of their Ode carnival for it would only enlist Oye-Ekiti in the ever-expanding big cities which had found it convenient and interesting to fully embrace freedom of worship!
We should aspire to be an Oye City known for Ode Carnival, just like Ile-Ife is known for Olojo Festival, Ibadan for Okebadan, Lagos for Eyo Festival and Ado-Ekiti for Udiroko!
Christianity and Islam should not feel cheated or jealous at all; they celebrate much, much more; every week, plus occasional festivities! Let our cities have traditional fun once a year too, I beg, Oye people!!!
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