Ooni of Ife Plans Brazilian Tour for Ekiti Cultural Troupe After Stellar Olojo Festival Performance
Ooni of Ife Plans Brazilian Tour for Ekiti Cultural Troupe After Stellar Olojo Festival Performance
By Matthew Eloyi
The Ekiti State Cultural Troupe may soon be heading to Brazil following their electrifying performance at the Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife, which caught the attention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. The monarch is reportedly in talks with the Ekiti State Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy to organize an international tour for the troupe.
The Olojo Festival, a key cultural event in Yoruba tradition, celebrates Ogun, the god of iron, and marks the first dawn of creation. The Ekiti troupe, led by acclaimed theatre director Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare, delivered a mesmerizing performance that brought the rich Yoruba heritage to life through traditional chants, music, and dance.
Their captivating display drew high praise from the Ooni, who is now negotiating a cultural tour to Brazil, a country with deep Afro-Brazilian ties to the Yoruba people. “This performance is a testament to the beauty and power of our culture,” sources quoted the Ooni as saying. Brazil, particularly the Bahia region, has strong cultural links to the Yoruba tradition, making it an ideal destination for the troupe to showcase Nigeria’s artistic heritage on a global stage.
Talks are ongoing, and the proposed tour is seen as a potential milestone in strengthening cultural ties between Nigeria and Brazil. If successful, it would not only provide global exposure for the Ekiti troupe but also further the international promotion of Nigerian arts and culture.
Details of the tour are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, as discussions between the Ooni’s palace and Ekiti State officials continue.
