EPE News

Epe Stood Still For Fanti Carnival As Ayanfola, Alao Malaika, Etufu Lighting Herald Kayokayo Grand Finale

Published

2 years ago

Sep 2, 2022.

Paul Mbagwu

By Babatunde Kaka

Epe Stood Still for the Fanti Carnival as Ayanfola, Alao Malaika and Etufu Lighting herald Kayokayo grand finale.

The memory of Saturday 27th August 2022 will forever linger in the hearts of ecstatic old and young sons and daughters of Epe as they defied the odds posed by the torrential rain to paint the hilly landscape of the town with an array of beautiful colours through an assemblage of carnival parades with a blend of current and old musical tunes and choreographic dance spectacles.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the carnival procession which held onlookers across the streets spell-bound comprise members of the popular Fanti Carnival in Lagos Island and various neighbourhoods (adugbo) across the kingdom with their Chiefs such as Oke-Balogun, Oke-Iposu, Bado, Isale-Agoro, Popo-Oba/Lagbade marched from the First Epe Central Mosque down to Ita-Opo, Recreation, Hospital Road, Lagos Road, Aiyetoro Market and terminated in the evening at the historic King Kosoko Embankment Center, Marina.

This online media platform gathered that the carnival procession which had the town on lock-down featured enormous supporters of Hon Wale Raji, Rep. Epe Federal Constituency and Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Lagos East Senatorial District, was likened to the famous Brazilian Carnival by Professor Basirat Oladipupo, one of the shining stars of the town who partook in the procession.

In an interview with EKO HOT BLOG, Oladipupo admitted that she had a lot of fun, adding that the carnival provided a platform for her to link up with her childhood friends.

Since one of the prime goals of the festival is to promote local talents in the community, Ayanfola Adebowale, a student of Lagos State University of Education, Noforija, lived up to the billing as she thrilled the huge crowd with her prolific drumming skills alongside her troupe members.

Adebowale’s drumming prowess was too good to be overlooked and minutes into rounding up her performance, ace fuji maestro, Alhaji Sulaimon Alao Malaika, stormed the stage to spray her wads of new notes to the excitement of the spectators.

The pulse of the crowd who anticipated the performance of the star music artist of the festival, Malaika, could be felt as their patience began to run out when anchors of the event pleaded for guests of the festival to deliver their goodwill messages.

Their impatience was understandable since the star music artist was the rave of the moment with his trending hit track enjoying massive airplay on and offline.

As customary, Malaika’s performance provided some illustrious sons and daughters from the town the opportunity to put on their dance shoes and display their skills. Notable are Olori Aribike Adewale, Rt. Honourable Adeyemi ikuforiji, Hon. Segun Olulade, Barrister Tunde Seriki, Barrister Omodele Ibrahim, Alhaji Ara, Mr Shobaloju, and several others.

One of the activities lined up for this year’s celebration was the lighting of the modern gas-powered ‘etufu’ presented by the Kosoko family.

Since the news broke during the press conference, many had anticipated revelling in the joy of the unveiling which was done by Hon. Wale Raji, Member House of Representatives, Epe Federal Constituency.

EKO HOT BLOG, reports that the unveiling became one of the high points of the festival as a crowd of curious spectators besieged the riverside to unravel the mystery behind the giant black figure and when it was eventually lighted, it was greeted with thunderous applause and deafening exclamations.

Earlier, the beneficiaries of the 2.5million naira worth scholarship program sponsored by the Festival Committee and some illustrious members of the community were announced while the Post-Humous Award of Excellence was presented to the family of Late Habeeb Uthman aka Obama DMW.

See More pictures from the event: