NIGERIA: Lagos: Banana Island Cultural Festival

There was the Small World earlier this year...then there's the Indonesia Bazaar in May just before summer holiday and finally (if I could say that) the Banana Island Cultural Festival to top it off for 2015.

Indonesia Bazaar ticket

Small World 2015

Small World entrance deco

Religion is universal. IMHO, wherever you go... religion remains the same. In Nigeria, how the Muslims here pray is the same wherever else. We recite the same verses..only difference on how we pronounce it. Still, it's pretty much the same. But culture, culture whats define you deep within and that is very different from one country to another...and in this huge nation of 3++ tribe or more...diversity is even great.

Wherever you go, the need to express yourself can be unbearable at times. The type of food you eat (petai...courtesy of bapak Suwaji) and resident chef, Pushpa, the music you listen to (I still listen to P. Ramlee and Saloma, Kartina Dahari, SM Salim, Ahmad Jais etc.), how you clothe yourself and the type of material you use, the traditional games you teach your children and other aspects of life which defines you or your country.

So, when the Banana Island residence committee (I think it was them...maybe I'm wrong) I look forward to it. The whole month of September, banners were hung around the place, in Banana Island. 

Banana Island... a place where Gru might like to stay with his banana loving minions

Why is it called Banana Island? It's a man made island that it is curved like a banana (take some imagination for to do that). It is in the area of Ikoyi and in Lagos Lagoon. 

Back to the culture event, the banner listed activities like henna and face painting, arts and crafts sale, cultural fashion show, dance competition and food tasting. It will be at the field just opposite the Banana Island's security office. Starts at 11am, it said in the brochure.

Egypt's booth, complete with pharaoh

Airtel, one of the main sponsor

South Africa, Kenya, India, Cote d'Ivoire, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco and France

Senegal and Ghana flag...almost similar, except the orientation. Jamaica and Nigeria booth at the back

 From Azerbaijan's booth.
Rice with goat meat and spinach wrap

Azerbaijan

note Turkey's and Tunisia's flag 

Morocco and France brought up the rear

India's booth at the back

All from Malaysia. (l-r) Dayang, Pushpa (DVM) and Madam with
Shivani (front, Pushpa's daughter)

Pushpa and husband

At Egypt's booth 

As usual, I would get lost among the crowd. Going from one booth to another. Looking and sampling food. Azerbaijan with the rice and mutton, the Falafel at Egypt's booth, India with it's tandoori chicken, grilled fish at Cote d'Ivoire's,  various sweets and cakes (kuih) from Tunisia and Morocco...Cheese and bread from France. Baklava from Turkey, which I think was nice and there was not enough for seconds! The coffee from Kenya was too thick to my liking. I was quite upset with the Nigeria's booth. The suya was not enough! But it was funny to see some of the non-Naijas trying it for the first time. Coughing, spitting it immediately, running for water were some of the response. 

A local band entertained us with some of the old and famous songs. But I didn't pay much notice until much later. The saxophonist were quite good. But, food got in the way...since it was free flow... I got lost. Until the rest of the Malaysian and some of my Indonesian friends showed up.

Some of the dance troupe for the cultural festival in these following pictures..but I did eavesdrop on their conversation....sounds Yoruba to me...maybe not. But nevertheless,  these were I think representing South Africa. What supposed to be a few minutes dance turned into almost 10minutes non-stop.  

Next it was the performance from India, junior and senior group! The children go first and they were cute. Three of them. Little three stooges doing their best entertaining the crowd under the sun. 

Then it was the senior...ladies. Pushpa our Malaysian friend was invited to join the India dance group. They had few dance session to practise their steps. But from the performance they did, it was great! 

The little ones performed first

Now their mother's turn

Pushpa in action, not bad for a vet.

Before we left, it was the Senegalese's turn to perform. They dance to their upbeat song with an earthen bowl which they carried around during the dance. Their outfits were colourful too! It was a riot of colour. The dance were vibrant...and people were cheering for them. There was the turning, the shake of body..some jumping. It was a very cheerful dance. 

All in all, it was great fun. People always say, colour is only skin deep. But what's inside you...that counts a lot. What you bring, to other places and make it your own is so much more important. Your culture, your identity...that what makes you..YOU!