The funny African Masquerade!

cultures and tradition is the people's way of life. Festivals, the agents of relaxation in Igboland, are celebrated to commemorate one important event or the other. These Festivals have many facets such as mmonwu (masquerading), Iri-ji (new yam festival) and mgba (wrestling festivals). In Afikpo, masquerading is classified into three, namely 'Iri Iko', 'IgwugwU and Okumkpo. These masquerade festivals are remarkable with one type of activity or the other, with Okumkpo masquerade festival most prominent. Masquerade Festival According to traditional Igbo beliefs, masquerades represent images of deities or relatives. The identity of the masquerade is a well-kept secret and the roles are performed exclusively by men. In Ebonyi, the festival features dozens of masquerades that thrill spectators in annual festivals and other events. The masquerades dress in colourful robes and masks made of wood or fabric. Although most of the masquerades appear at every festival, some are particularly special and only appear once. Okwe-Ebu is a masquerade that accompanies other masquerades. This masquerade serves as both a mouthpiece for the masquerade it accompanies as well as a praise singer to those watching the masquerade display. The praise singing often results in audience members giving gifts of money or other items of value to Okwa-Ebu and/or the masquerade it accompanies. The materials for this paper were colld under the principle of survey method from Ozizza, a town in Afikpo. The Afikpo clan is called the Ehugbo after their founder and the total population is approximately 156, 611 (2006 census)]. The masquerade festivals aim to correct ills within the Ehugbo people of Afikpo. The question now borders on its relevance in this modern era considering the fact that the government has put in place various regulatory legal instruments for protecting human rights and curbing the ills of society. This work will show that the relevance of masquerading is not diminished by the modern imports.