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Agaba Masquerade in Yorkshire

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Analysis
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Today's post is by CRPL member and University of Leeds PhD candidate Gloria Adaeze Adichie.

On 14 December 2024 in Leeds, the Igbo Union Yorkshire (IUY) hosted its annual end-of-year Christmas party. One of the highlights of the party was the dramatic appearance of the Agaba masquerade. This was a striking and powerful display of Igbo tradition, history, and identity.

Agaba means "let’s go" and symbolises the spirit of a determined and ready warrior. Seeing the Agaba masquerade performed in Yorkshire was not just entertaining, it carried deep cultural significance, connecting the Igbo people in Yorkshire to their homeland in southeastern Nigeria.

The Agaba costume is unforgettable. It has large horns that shoot up, wrapped in red, white, and yellow fabrics, representing the power and strength of Igbo land. The costume's forehead is decorated with big, teeth-like designs, and curved tusks frame its ears. These features also in Igbo culture convey authority, warrior strength, and power. The costume’s robe is covered in patterns similar to Uli motifs, Uli being a traditional Igbo art form. The lines, which look like snakes (called agwo in Igbo), add to the overall effect of agility and power. Metal decorations on its waist, hands, and legs create a loud, rhythmic clanging as Agaba moves, adding energy to its performance.

The colours on Agaba’s outfit also carry meaning. Red warns of danger; white represents purity; yellow stands for happiness but with an edge of readiness for battle. Beneath its eyes, yellow markings shaped like a leopard’s claw, symbolise agility and ferocity. Even the stick and hand fan it carries are more than accessories—they are symbols of authority.

Back in Igbo land, masquerades like Agaba are closely tied to Igbo Indigenous religion and once appeared only on traditional occasions like burials, title taking ceremonies, new yam festivals, and so on. They represent spirits or ancestors, and performances are sacred. However, after the coming of Christianity to the southeastern region of Nigeria in the 19th century, Igbo masquerades have come to be associated also with the Christmas and even Easter holidays.

This is now also the case beyond Igbo land, including in Leeds, where the Agaba masquerade was part of the IUY Christmas celebration. This combination of traditional and modern elements shows how Igbo culture and spirituality are evolving and adapting. The Agaba masquerade in Leeds even carried an emblem that read "Bongo Master" —the name of its designer—which introduces another modern and ,arguably, secular element, which makes one  wonder if this signals a transformation from sacred, communal origins towards more individualised and commercialised manifestations.

And yet, amidst these transformations and modernisations, the tradition of masquerading remains firmly rooted in male exclusivity. Masquerading in Igbo land is exclusively for men. Even female spirits, like Agboho Mmuo and Adanma (both are beautiful spirit maidens), are performed by men. This tradition emphasises the masculine preserve of masquerading and indicates the dominance and primary authority of men, including in the spiritual domain.

At the IUY event in Leeds, the MC (Master of Ceremonies) warned pregnant women to avoid looking at or coming near Agaba. This reflects traditional beliefs that masquerades, as spiritual entities, can affect unborn children. While some Igbos may view this as folklore or superstition, it illustrates how traditional practices still enforce and reinforce gender exclusion.

In Yorkshire, Agaba’s performance is a reminder of home and a way for Igbo people in the diaspora to celebrate their identity. It might even take on a new role—like a Santa Claus figure—bringing joy and cultural pride during the festive season. But things have changed. In the past, Agaba’s performances were tied to religious ceremonies and rituals. Now, in Yorkshire, it serves more as cultural entertainment.

This shift raises important questions: Does Agaba performing in a foreign land reduce its sanctity? Or, does it show how adaptable Igbo traditions are?  Agaba’s role at the IUY event shows how traditions unite communities far from home. As a spiritual symbol, Agaba could be seen as a way of preserving Igbo traditions in the diaspora. It could in fact critique traditional boundaries or reimagine traditional boundaries.

Sources for futher reading

Deezia, B.S., (2024) Behind the Mask: The Philosophical Dynamics and Symbolic Significance of Masquerades among the Ogoni and the Global Future. JASSD-Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development7(4).

Emiemokumo, A.A.N., (2012) Visual Art Form in motion: Traditional African Masquerade as Theatrical Phenomenon. Mgbakoigba: Journal of African Studies1.

Fenton, J., (2022) Masquerade and Money in Urban Nigeria: The Case of Calabar (Vol. 95). Boydell & Brewer.

Igboness. (2023) Types of Igbo masquerade. Available at: https://igboness.com/culture/types-of-igbo-masquerade?lang= (Accessed: 27 December 2024).

Nwabueze, E., (2000) The Aesthetics of Narrative in Igbo Masquerade Theatre. The Negro Educational Review51(1), p.37.