TONIGHT in far away Berlin, the capital city of Germany, the dexterity and versatility of Yoruba talking drum will be showcased at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin in what can be described as a prelude to this year's Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) also taking place in Berlin between May 25 and 28, 2012.But a glimpse of the Berlin outing being championed by Ayodele Ganiu-led Yoruba Drum Festival rocked the gardens of the Consulate- General of the Federal Republic of Germany, 15, Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, May 6, 2012.Tagged Yoruba Drum Festival Pre-Departure Show, it attracted culture patrons, traditional rulers, diplomats, culture enthusiasts, politicians and the media.In his opening remarks, Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Walter L von den Driesch, expressed pleasure over the size and calibre of guests at the occasion.'Pre-Departure Show! ' Who is departing' There is a group of Yoruba drummers participating in one of the greatest and most important cultural events taking place every Pentecost weekend since 1996 in German capital Berlin, Carnival of Cultures,' the Consular told the audienceBut before Driesch mounted the podium for his remarks, the gathering had been treated to a medley of traditional music dictated by heavy drum percussions. Ayo Ewebiyi Cultural Group led the curtain raiser. Thereafter, Ayanwola Ayankojo and his team did a bata dance drama.While the performance was on, the lead performer, Ayanwola invited three members of the audience to come on stage to do the bata dance with him. Two of them were whites. They exited the stage with a praise chant for the white hen ' adie funfun lagba adie (white hen is the elder of all hens). It was a bata dialogue that was fun filled.The major performance of the day was Playing around the world by Dabi Ayanlola Kanyisola and his band. Not only did the performance stress the multi lingual power of the talking drum, it was used to beat rhythm that had meanings in over 10 international languages ' Chinese, French, English, Portugese and others.There were also presentations by Taiwo Soyebo, who performed Gbamu, and a special chant tribute to the royal fathers and elders at the event by Azeez Ajobiewe. There was also Ijala performance (The Hunters' dance) by Odeyemi. It was an evening of variety show that really held the audience spellbound. A brief talk on talking drum as a language technology was also anchored by the Project Director, Ayodele Ganiu.The entire package elicited satisfactory comments especially from the invited special guests including culture patriarch, Chief Olusegun Olusola who said, 'what is leaving Nigeria for Germany is a good representation of the dances and the drum of our land. And I can assure you that they will not let us down.'One of the patrons of the group, Prof. Olu Akinyanju, also commended the drummers and dancers as their presentations showed a mini of what the Yoruba Drum Festival is all about, the different dances rhythm and how the drum orchestral can play together.'We should be teaching the beating of drums in schools. It is a skill and in Yoruba lands, there are families that drum, they are usually called ayan and their children are taught from young age and when those children start going to school and not following their father to drum again, the art may die. So, it should be taught in schools, primary and secondary, so that we do not loose skills developed over the ages,' Prof. Akinyanju said.As host of the show, Ambassador Driesch reminisced with nostalgia that 'in 2011, 1.3 million visitors celebrated the 16th Carnival of Cultures joyfully and peacefully. Berliners already are looking forward to this year's Pentecost weekend with Carnival of Cultures from 25th to 28th of May!'Berlin is a city with a large international population. Among the 3.4 million inhabitants of the German capital 450.000 do not hold German citizen-ship. And many more have mixed ethnic backgrounds.'He went down history lane, recalling that the idea of a carnival, which presents the cultural and ethnic diversity of Berlin, was developed in 1995, 'at a time when ' as a consequence to the political and economic changes since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany ' a lot of social, economic and cultural changes took place.'Due to these changes, social inconsistencies became more evident and even increased. This state of change resulted, among other things, in a biased and prejudiced view on immigration, which was reflected in public discussion. At the same period of time, Berlin attracted a growing number of artists from all over the world and a new cultural 'off-scene' developed, which added to the cultural richness of Berlin.'According to the diplomat, there had been several attempts in the past to initiate a carnival in Berlin. He claimed that those concepts which had been based on already existing patterns, like carnival in Western German Rhineland, Fasching in Southern Germany, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro or Notting Hill Carnival in London, did not gain sufficient support and could not be implemented in Berlin.'With the concept of a carnival which focused on the cultural richness of Berlin, also highlighting the often hidden treasures of its international cultural scene, Carnival of Cultures was the concept that proved successful right from the start.'Over the last 15 years, the numbers of participants and visitors have risen. In 2011, 1.3 million visitors celebrated at the street festival and the parade. About 4.700 professional and non-professional performers of all age groups took part in the parade on Pentecost Sunday, accompanied by colourfully decorated floats. 900 artists performed during the four- day street festival.'Carnival of Cultures is open to everybody and all forms of cultural expression. It is regarded as a platform for a proud expression of hybrid cultural identities, containing traditional and contemporary elements. It includes and attracts all age groups, professional artists and amateurs, people from all walks of life.'Carnival of Cultures is of special importance to Berlin's ethnic communities. They see it as a challenge and an incentive to reconsider their view on the culture in their respective countries of origin and define their cultural self-image 'between two cultures'.'The involvement in carnival activities strengthens the bonds within ethnic communities and among all the groups alike. Their presence in the national and international media lead to a growing self-esteem within ethnic communities. Therefore, the Carnival of Cultures promotes the awareness for the positive impact made by immigrants on Berlin's cultural and social life.'I am indeed really happy that a group from my Consulate's-General consular district will participate in this splendid event.'The pre-departure show, Driesch declared, was to symbolically bridge 'the distance between our two metropolises, Lagos as the cultural and economic powerhouse of Nigeria, Berlin as the German capital.
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