FEATURE: Insight on the Owu Dance Festival in ancient Oru Kingdom of Imo State

compiled by Fred Doc Nwaozor

 seated owu masquerades

        

Oru is a community situated at the West Pole of Imo State otherwise known as the Eastern Heartland in Federal Republic of Nigeria. It’s surrounded by many neighbouring communities which include Orsu to the North, Njaba to the North-East, Mbaitolu to the East and South-East, Oguta to the South, Amorka in Anambra State to the Weat and so on. Politically, it was formerly recognized as Oru Local Government Area (L.G.A) till late nineties, 1998 precisely, when it was divided into Oru East and Oru West.

         

Among other cultural heritage, Owu, a cultural dance is the most renowned and constant tradition observed by ‘Oru’ indigenes. Its unique status and features has attracted the keen interest of series of people from different social classes. It’s indeed a ‘common language’ spoken amongst the entire people, both indigenes and residents, in the ancient land of Oru kingdom. History has it that the festival originated from Oguta, one of the neighbouring communities to Oru.

         

The Owu cultural dance is often accompanied by ‘Okorosha’ masquerade. Customarily, a certain masquerade known as ‘Ofu-Uzo’ is expected to parade itself at night prior to the day the cultural dance is meant to take place; in a situation whereby it fails to do so, the Owu dance would never take place. 

         

The Owu festival is an annual event. It commences in Oru by the month of June every year. It’s being celebrated separately by each of the sub-communities/towns that make up Oru ancient Kingdom at different time intervals or dates to be fixed by the towns in question.

        

One of the most impressive features of Owu festival is that, only male indigenes are allowed to participate in the dancing competition. Needless to say; participation of the female folk is customarily forbidden. Another remarkable feature of the festival is that, it can never be carried out on ‘Nkwo’ market day.

         

Apart from the hosting of Owu in the land of Oru, it’s also hosted in other states in Nigeria such as Lagos, and in the diaspora. This is the most exemplary aspect of Owu festival. Each year, after it has been observed by the entire people of Oru, other Oru indigenes that reside in Lagos State and other States as well, would follow suit. In Lagos State, it usually takes place at Bariga, a town dominated by the Oru indigenes in the month of august unless it’s uttered by any circumstance. This very phenomenon originated several years ago. Having  been celebrated in Lagos State, and other states in Nigeria that have a high concentration of Oru indigenes, it would be subsequently observed by the Oru indigenes in the diaspora; mostly in other continents such as Europe and America, U.S.A precisely.

         

The above practice observed by eminent sons and daughters of Oru is strictly ceremonial. Suffice to say that, most traditional rituals or prerequisites usually observed prior to the festival are invariably skipped or ignored.