Mbe Festival Afikpo
Mbe Festival:- Mbe festival is a feast and song festival in Afikpo. Mbe in Igbo land means Tortoise and Ebu Mbe literally means Tortoise's song. Mbe festival combines great music and dance with social satire; it uses humor or ridicule to expose, and criticize people's vices in the society. The lyrics of the song criticizes individuals and groups who committed offenses or violated community norms and rules. The reason for this is to name, disgrace and put the evil doers to shame so as to serve as a lesson and note of warning to others. On this festive day, the men in age groups sing and dance foibles about the women
Some groups of men and women meet after work to practice the songs and dance steps, the rehearsal takes place some weeks and months in advance before the festival.
Mbe festival is celebrated mainly by Mgbom and Amuro villages in Afikpo, it is held annually in the latter part of October. This event lasts for two days. It starts in the evening of an Orie market day and ends in the evening of the following Afor market day. In the night of the Orie market day, different women age grades come together to form and practice songs connected with the occassion. Throughout the night, defamatory ballads about men who committed crimes are formulated and practiced in the song, and acted by women for presentation to the public on the eventful Afor market day, thereby making it a hectic and demanding time for the women. The men on their own part do same about the women, they also form and practice their own kind of defamatory songs and act about women who committed abominable acts. They accompany their songs with instruments which consist of 2 or more cylindrical wooden drums called ‘’Nkwa,’’ a small piece of smooth, hollowed wood drum (ekwe) with 2 drum sticks to match, 2 gongs and a pair of maracas (ahia). After the practice in the night by both parties, the men and women present their respective plats to the public in the daytime.
When spectators are gathered at the playground (Ogo) at about 10:00 AM, both parties sing and dance up and down parts of the playground simultaneously, but in opposite directions, dramatizing the atrocities committed by the respective members of the opposite sex. By means of this action, culprits are exposed to public ridicule, and this is intended to serves as a deterrent to others who may intend to do so in the future. While the women sing and dance without musical instruments, the men accompany theirs with the instruments stated above.
As the celebration continue on with this high tone, some morally deranged boys and girls engage themselves in immoral and indecent expressions and actions inimical to decency. Such actions are permitted only on these two days. The event also takes place simultaneously at Amuro in the same day and at the same time. The two sister-communities exchange visits during the occasion at the close of dance in the evening. There is usually general entertainment of visitors by villages concerned, and feasting with guests by individual families.
Mbe festival features the Okpaa masquerade, colorfully dressed women's dance groups and spirited male drummers.
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