Zürcher Nachrichten - Afro-Brazilian carnival celebrates cultural kinship in Lagos

EUR -
AED 4.28642
AFN 80.800953
ALL 97.867038
AMD 448.356022
ANG 2.088879
AOA 1070.293041
ARS 1492.768995
AUD 1.781705
AWG 2.101485
AZN 1.98322
BAM 1.951941
BBD 2.356641
BDT 141.230795
BGN 1.956885
BHD 0.439989
BIF 3373.697879
BMD 1.167168
BND 1.494858
BOB 8.094068
BRL 6.52272
BSD 1.167193
BTN 100.283604
BWP 15.573346
BYN 3.819781
BYR 22876.484491
BZD 2.344585
CAD 1.599224
CDF 3368.445444
CHF 0.930863
CLF 0.029457
CLP 1130.378758
CNY 8.365382
CNH 8.370961
COP 4680.925564
CRC 589.140351
CUC 1.167168
CUP 30.929941
CVE 110.880278
CZK 24.662843
DJF 207.429468
DKK 7.463524
DOP 70.382763
DZD 151.744621
EGP 57.719122
ERN 17.507514
ETB 159.376938
FJD 2.624084
FKP 0.8626
GBP 0.868746
GEL 3.163491
GGP 0.8626
GHS 12.141917
GIP 0.8626
GMD 83.451027
GNF 10103.002412
GTQ 8.966274
GYD 244.099521
HKD 9.162225
HNL 30.75439
HRK 7.535122
HTG 153.197138
HUF 399.935771
IDR 18987.598845
ILS 3.909819
IMP 0.8626
INR 100.340055
IQD 1528.989525
IRR 49152.342916
ISK 142.418235
JEP 0.8626
JMD 186.988732
JOD 0.827576
JPY 172.423309
KES 151.147597
KGS 102.064837
KHR 4693.181197
KMF 492.8363
KPW 1050.450605
KRW 1613.515655
KWD 0.356733
KYD 0.972685
KZT 612.47442
LAK 25134.95349
LBP 104519.85666
LKR 351.175746
LRD 234.60072
LSL 20.88822
LTL 3.446342
LVL 0.706008
LYD 6.320206
MAD 10.53427
MDL 19.772081
MGA 5170.552384
MKD 61.600511
MMK 2451.051223
MNT 4183.367519
MOP 9.437424
MRU 46.310098
MUR 53.001623
MVR 17.976039
MWK 2026.783616
MXN 21.876356
MYR 4.963377
MZN 74.652346
NAD 20.893575
NGN 1783.035451
NIO 42.940514
NOK 11.831233
NPR 160.454166
NZD 1.952193
OMR 0.448773
PAB 1.167203
PEN 4.162704
PGK 4.726154
PHP 66.142271
PKR 332.234334
PLN 4.256834
PYG 9042.124235
QAR 4.249188
RON 5.079864
RSD 117.177828
RUB 91.157316
RWF 1673.718304
SAR 4.37751
SBD 9.71032
SCR 16.471061
SDG 700.874766
SEK 11.22182
SGD 1.496455
SHP 0.91721
SLE 26.258146
SLL 24474.925093
SOS 667.023371
SRD 43.425056
STD 24158.012323
SVC 10.21281
SYP 15175.49558
SZL 20.903876
THB 37.885725
TJS 11.269218
TMT 4.096758
TND 3.381223
TOP 2.733624
TRY 46.969276
TTD 7.922406
TWD 34.269179
TZS 3025.125595
UAH 48.811085
UGX 4182.730979
USD 1.167168
UYU 47.436221
UZS 14828.863652
VES 133.271606
VND 30492.252925
VUV 139.648288
WST 3.041064
XAF 654.668367
XAG 0.030493
XAU 0.000349
XCD 3.154329
XDR 0.814138
XOF 654.780957
XPF 119.331742
YER 281.696039
ZAR 20.890776
ZMK 10505.905627
ZMW 27.078699
ZWL 375.827483
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Afro-Brazilian carnival celebrates cultural kinship in Lagos
Afro-Brazilian carnival celebrates cultural kinship in Lagos / Photo: TOYIN ADEDOKUN - AFP

Afro-Brazilian carnival celebrates cultural kinship in Lagos

Thousands of young and old descendants of formerly enslaved people donned elaborate costumes Sunday to bring the rhythm, vibrancy and colours of Brazil's Rio Carnival to the streets of Lagos in Nigeria.

Text size:

The festival, albeit on a smaller scale than that of its Brazilian model, helps to keep their heritage alive and celebrate the city's Afro-Brazilian history.

After Brazil abolished slavery, some of those who had been enslaved returned to west Africa, settling in several countries including Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

They brought with them Latin American culture -- dance, food, religion and colours -- that lives on today in pockets of the megacity of Lagos.

At Sunday's Fanti Carnival, a stilt-walking woman in a green-and-yellow dress with a yellow fascinator on her head danced rhythmically to sounds of loud drums and trumpets, sometimes stealing a hug from a man also performing on stilts.

Just behind them, a group of young men in striking face masks were preparing for a "dragon dance" using long rubber dragons similar to those that feature in Chinese New Year celebrations.

"We want to keep (our heritage) alive, very colourful... we love colours," said retired fine art teacher Onabolu Abiola, 67, dressed in the green and yellow of the Brazilian flag.

"During this period, we don't bother ourselves with the economic situation or whatever... everybody comes together to have fun," said he added, breaking into an impromptu dance to traditional Nigerian Yoruba music.

- 'Story of hope' -

"We are here to show culture, we are here to make history -- the celebration of culture is important," said 50-year-old Mayegun Musiliu as he walked with fellow performers. "This is how we sustain it."

Brazil was the last place in the Americas to abolish slavery when it formally ended the practice in 1888.

Many slaves were forced to adopt Portuguese names, and today in Nigeria, it is common to find people with Yoruba first names and Portuguese surnames.

One of them is Aduke Gomez, a 62-year-old lawyer and historian.

"The story of Afro-Brazilians is a story of tragedy... but it's a story of hope, it's a story of resilience," she said. Loud music blaring from speakers almost drowned out her words.

"Personally, I'm very proud to be an Afro-Brazilian descendent because when you think of the chances of how many people came back and when they came back -- they came back with nothing... and many of them worked and lived to become educated and were contributing positively."

The carnival, she added, "is not just a day, it's a tangible legacy of what my ancestors went through".

- A little-known legacy -

Another participant, renowned filmmaker and actress Joke Silva, 64, recalled how her parents always used to bring her to the Fanti festival as a child.

She said she now continued the tradition, bringing her children to the celebrations.

"There needs to be more interrogation on how the trauma of (slavery)... has been part of what we are today. But that is not to claim victimhood," she said.

The carnival represents a part of Nigeria's history that is not always well known -- though some are trying to change that.

Kelenchi Anabaraonye, 27, curated a history exhibition at the festival.

"I had friends who were named Pionero, Pereira, Da Silva, Gomez," said Anabaraonye.

"Back then I thought they were jesting with the names, because you have a Yoruba first name and why are your surnames foreign? I didn't know that there was some historical connection."

B.Brunner--NZN