By Alhaji Musbah Akanni /Bahia
The Nigeria Community in Brazil , “ Bahia Chapt) celebrates the importance of Oneness in diaspora , they Celebrated Nígeria!in one spirit and love .
The commemoration that took the air at the CASA CASTRO ALVES (CASTRO ALVES HOUSE) located at the historic Center of Salvador- BAHIA, on the first of October, the independence day of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
CASA CASTRO, was the venue, the Municipal Government of Salvador, released to hold the activities that marked the 62nd Independence commemoration of Nigeria by the NIGERIAN COMMUNITY IN the state of Bahia and some local Cultural organizations.
The event was with pomp and happiness. Some of the programs line up to commemorate the day was a lunch of typical NIGERIAN foods , like fufu and jollof rice , which are readily available in the BAHIA markets.
The Brazilian devorated these delicacies with enthusiasm and satisfaction, eating the Fufu with their hands like we normally do back at home.
A film documentary on “ The way to democracy” that lasted for an hour was shown to the public present. A Nigerian dance workshop was also organized by a group where some Nigerian dancing steps were thought and many members of the public present joined to learn and practice the steps.
A musical display also came up and many types of music were played by both Nigerian groups and the local ones that participated in the show.
A stand for the Nigerian artwork and fabrics was on display. The exhibition displayed various types of dresses, both female and male, different types of caps , head ties , beads etc.
The floor was opened for the community members and the invites guests to show their beautiful dancing steps.
Among the group that entertained most were students of the Obafemi Awolowo University on the year abroad program at the Federal University of Bahia.
Children were not left out of the dancing competition.
More than 300 hundred people participated in the commemoration that started at 1pm and lasted till 2am the next day.
Castro Alves was a famous Brazilian poet of note, and the house where the event was held is preserved by the Municipal Government of Salvador as a memorial to preserve some of the personal objects used by the poet, while he was alive.
The NIGERIAN COMMUNITY IN BAHIA is composed of about 100 members.
Historical,the state of Bahia is considered, the most Nigerian of the Brazilian states, due to the historical and cultural linkage between the two people.
Most of our ancestors that were brought to Brazil , landed here to work in their different plantation of Tobacco and sugar cane.
They came along with their different cultural manifestation in diverse aspects of human existence- like music, dancing, Cuisine, dressing, language and religion .
These aspects are still very present in the daily lives of the Batian people.
It’s not difficult to see people eating Akara- which they call ACARAJE freely on the streets. Thus is also other types of the Nigerian delicacies like ABARA – which is a Jukun word, Mukeka- fish soup which an Itsekiri word.
Orisha religion I widely practiced among the local population.
The Islamic religion Is also present, among the groups of slaves brought here were some Muslims called that Males, they became relevant in history, as they carried out an uprising here in the year 1835, that shocked the colonial masters then.
These were the main motives why the NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT established the only Nigerian Cultural and information Center in the Southern hemispheres here in Salvador the capital city of the state of Bahia.
The president of the Nigerian Community in Bahia, Alhaji Misbah Oyewale Akanni, said the local people consider Nigerians as their brothers and sisters, therefore, extend a total hospitality to their Nigerian counterparts.
Appeals were made by the local people and Nigerians as well to consider the re-opening of the closed Nigerian Cultural House located at the historical Center of Pelourinho, Salvador.