August | 2013 | MACOSITE2013's Blog

LEBOKU NEW YAM FESTIVAL

Leboku is the Annual New Yam Festival Celebration in Ugep, Nigeria to honour the earth gooddess and the ancentral spirit s of the land in Ugep, one of the five settlements of Yakurr. The three (3) weeks festival is the culmination of many event. The beginning of the new yam festival, a times to appease the gods and ancestors, a public parade of engaged maidens, a commemoration of events that led to the migration from the yakurr ancestral home to the presents site, and period of holiday in the yakkur traditional calender (Mid-August Through Mid September). The yakurr calender runs from August to July. During the leboku, people keep away from intense farming activities and exchange visits with their families. The leboku is also meant to usher in peace, good health and prosperity.

LEBOKU FESTIVAL

The three week celebration starts with the “MBLEM”. On the day, the harvest of new yam is officially flagged off beautifully attired women from different farm-roads and group later parade the town with their harvests.

The second day is the (JANENBOKU) which literally translated means women’ s festival day”. On this day, gifts are given to women by their loved one’s and friends. Some tradition dances also take place, tourists on the night of Jenenboku are faced with two options the traditional carnival like drumming and dancing to the rhythm of the Ekoi drums to usher in the Ledemboku, held in the playground or the modern day. Miss leboku beauty pageant, held in one of the hotels within the town. Day three is the Ledemboku or “men’s festival day” , it involves exchange of gifts to males, performance by the male ekoi dancers, a parade of obol lopon and his Bi-inah (council of chief), a parade and dances by leg-bangle, wearing maidens to the rhythm of the Ekoi drums and a display by the Etangala masquerade whose only outing year long is on this day.

After a day of rest, which affords the leboku maidens opportunities to cultivate new friends, known as Nkokebio, there is Leteboku. The Leteleboku is a performance poetry contest among leboku maidens from each of the tradition ugep ward. The song danced to and the rhythm produced by the leg-bangles worn by the maidens is a delight to watch. Two days after the Leteboku which are the normally observed as rest days, is the Yekipi. It is a day when boy and leboku maidens parade the usher in peace and prosperity. The Yekonfawi follows thw Yekpi, this is a ceremony reserved only for initiates of the Libini group to declare the first phase of the laboku over. Although this takes place during the night, it is also a day non-initiates stay awake to listen to the songs. After the Yeponfawa young boys and girls participates in a one-week music and festival through their dance ensembles known as Egbendum (for boys) and Oka (for girls) every neighbourhood has its own group which is directed by an adult, who also teaches them songs and dance step.

The leboku comes to an end with the exist of the Egbendjum and oka session. Children are normally hosted to a feast of yam porridge and palm wine is collected from parents, relatives and formed in farm roads location in the children neighbourhood. The festival is an incredible cultural and tourism fiesta and also a refreshing and interesting experience.

Written by

Usang peace mathias

Mass Communication

Year one

12/Mac/120