My Pikin Cannot Wear it Bullcrap!

Again, I’d like to revisit this young and her unique appearance at the Ojude-Oba Festival.Without a doubt, she brought some real sauce and sparkle to the festival, no lie. Modern festivals aren’t just about dancing and drumming, they’re big business too. It’s about pulling crowds, generating income for the locals, the state, and at the same time, creating a space where people can vibe and connect. Culture and tradition is one of the main tools used to make all it happen.

Take the Osun-Oshogbo Festival, it is doing its thing, really. As at the last time I covered Osun-Oshogbo which I did for four consecutive years, it was able to pull in people from all corners of the globe, and that foreign currency flowed into the country and money trickled down to common people who earn a little extra. I think Fanti in Lagos does same, perhaps in minimal proportion.

Ojude Oba, grandeur, glamour everywhere! Families flexing wealth and lineage like a catwalk, and it’s catching fire quickly, soon enough, it will be a festival of the Ijebus but foreigners will book years ahead to attend.

Still, I have to say fashion-wise, it’s starting to feel stale. Fashion evolves, culture embraces modernity for broader appeal.

You see, that same buba and iro is becoming boring; no twist, no spice, no allure and that’s why horses, tattoos, cigars, and sunshade are stealing the spotlight.

These otherwise secondary items are bringing the drama that’s missing.

Honestly, what is left for the media to cover when the whole thing is becoming a rinse and repeat? Where’s the street food? The palm wines, local drinks, street energy?

Maybe it’s people like this girl, young, vibrant, daring…that will shake things up. As a festival enthusiast, these are the things I want to see. The drumbeats of excitement. what I want to see!
Same people criticizing this young woman run to be at the Rio and Nottinhil Festivals yearly. There is a reason. We keep talking about culture as a revenue earner, we aren’t going to do that by being monotonous. We must think our if the box. We must bring in the youths to the decision making table. They have brighter ideas, today and tomorrow are theirs, make no mistake about that.

Anyway, go on YouTube and see what festivals look like across the world, you’ll understand what I mean.

By the way, it turns out the young lady was actually repping a corporate brand and still she made headlines. That is how you have a festival the world wants.
If your pikin cannot wear it, allow other people’s pikins to wear it. Simple.