first yoruba wedding

Last weekend I attended my first Yoruba wedding (to my recollection) in Nigeria’s ancient Yoruba city named Ibadan, a land where the whites were very much present back in the day. I was there about 48 hours and hardly saw anything substantial enough to give an accurate observation, so the ensuing words are mostly a ‘first glimpse’ experience. I hope to visit this city again to see the sites and really talk to the people. The city was truly ancient, and now I wish I had pictures of some of its structures so you’d witness the eye opening stagnation in development in some areas. I imagine the white man coming back in 2016, and with jaws ajar, exclaiming, “Wow! These people haven’t touched a single thing since we left”. Perhaps an exaggeration, but I bet some parts really haven’t been touched.

 

 

wedding party

I live in the East surrounded by mostly Igbos as I, myself, am one. Nigeria’s civil war was engendered by the desire of the Eastern states, the Igbos, wanting succession from their fellow Nigerians. The Yorubas dominate the west, the same corner of Nigeria where the 'New York of Nigeria', Lagos, sits, jam packed with people, where many Igbos also have established businesses and enterprises. Historically the Yorubas attained more education, and maybe still do till date. The Brits had open door policy and many of them traveled abroad to obtain degrees, so it’s distinctive that a Nigerian who lives in the UK is most likely a Yoruba. My experience in Ibadan last weekend was colored by my curiosity to witness how the Yorubas do their weddings, contrasting it to that of Igbos. It’s often an elaborate ordeal as I learned that Yorubas take great pride in throwing parties and celebrating occasions. They tend to focus on parties, celebrations and enjoyment of what they’ve worked for while the pith of a typical Igbo man is to grow his business in order to take care of his woman and family. A favorite aspect of my trip was traveling with my guys. This was my third state to visit with one and second with another. Such a fun crew to adventure with, and they know how to take care of a lady;) Giovanni, as he’s affectionately called, was the only Igbo man among the groomsmen and he was styling and profiling in his ‘Agbada’, the traditional Yoruba male attire. I'm sure many more wedding attending will transpire, all across Naija, and I plan to continue on with the tradition of visiting several states and cities in this motherland of ours.

Bride & Groom dancing down the aisle at the reception

my two guys