blessed with rich cultural heritage and moral touchstones that have shaped the mind of the average Igbo man.
Modern day Igbo leaders are making efforts to ensure that the Igbo tradition and culture is sustained in generations to come despite the modernity that is now associated with the Igbo land.
One of the ways the Igbo tradition and culture is sustained is the annual New Yam Festival also known in Igbo parlance as Iri Iji, Iwa ji or Ike ji depending on the dialect.
The New Yam Festival is a time of thanksgiving to the gods for making the farm yields possible and praying for good yields for the next planting season. It is celebrated all over the Igbo land.
photojournalist, Yinka Adeparusi witnessed the New Yam Festival in Igboukwu village in Aguata local government area of Anambra state. Below are 5 powerful images from the festival that will make you fall in love with the Igbo culture.
1. The masquerades
One major feature of the New Yam Festival is the masquerades performance, which many people look forward to because of their colourful costumes and their enthralling dance. The masquerades always have a group of singers who accompany it round the arena to pay homage to traditional kings and chiefs.
2. The musical instruments
The Igbos are blessed with several musical instruments which make interesting and beautiful sounds. From the Igba (talking drum), to the Ichaka (rattle), to Ekwe (slit drum) and Ogene (gong).
These musical instruments are always used during the festival. The man above is an Igbo chief blowing the Opi (horn) to signify his entrance into the festival arena.
A joy to watch. The Igbo acrobatic dancers are always a major highlight in the New Yam Festival. Their dance steps are out of this world and elicits excited responses from the audience.
The Igbo women are known for their colourful attires. Every occasion where the Igbo women grace come alive with bright colours, beautiful traditional-inspired wrappers, cultural beads and all other traditional accessories that make their attires a joy to behold.
The Igbo land is known for having powerful traditional rulers who are the symbol of authority in all the localities in the region. The kings are well respected and generally seen as the custodian of the Igbo culture.
3. The cultural dancers
A joy to watch. The Igbo acrobatic dancers are always a major highlight in the New Yam Festival. Their dance steps are out of this world and elicits excited responses from the audience.
4. The colourful women attires
The Igbo women are known for their colourful attires. Every occasion where the Igbo women grace come alive with bright colours, beautiful traditional-inspired wrappers, cultural beads and all other traditional accessories that make their attires a joy to behold.
5. The royalty
The Igbo land is known for having powerful traditional rulers who are the symbol of authority in all the localities in the region. The kings are well respected and generally seen as the custodian of the Igbo culture.
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