Carnival, Calabar and the promotion of
indigenous culture in Cross River from
1999-2013. (History and international studies)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background of study
In
a bid to develop cultural tourism in Nigeria, a number of states of the
Federation have recently developed carnivals in which they showcase aspects of
Nigerian and popular cultures in street performances. Cross River State, Rivers
State, Lagos State, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are at the
forefront of this initiative. Carnival
Calabar in Cross River State is
probably more popular than the rest, judging from the organization, publicity,
patronage, utilitarian thrust and artistic profile of the carnival.
In terms of organization,
the carnival held every 26th and
27th December,
it is run by a commission made up of technically competent members who are either drawn from the
performing and visual art industry/academia
or are connoisseurs of the arts1. The
commission also collaborates with and draws technical manpower from the
well-established carnivals of Trinidad and Tobago and Rio in Brazil. As part of
technical manpower development for Carnival
Calabar, workshops and series of interactive sessions have been held
over the years for creative personnel involved in costume production, float
construction, headgear production and other technical activities. In 2012, a
detachment of a band from Brazil participated in Carnival Calabar probably to strengthen the technical
partnership, while also providing a different variety of cultural performance2.
Moreover, varieties of promotional jingles are shown in numerous national and
international media networks prior to the carnival. The ripple effects on the indigenous
culture are remarkable, particularly in cultural dances, arts, local craft and
musical performances3. The thrust of the carnival appears to be
utilitarian to a large extent, and this feature is unique. This is exemplified
in the fact that every year, the carnival theme addresses a particular
development issue within society. The fact is that Carnival Calabar has been developed to become a medium through
which societal shortcomings can be addressed4.
Carnival is define as
a public celebration or parade
combining some elements of a circus, masks and public street
party. Carnival, creates room for organization and expression
of thoughts towards improving the lots
of the society. Carnival Calabar shares the burden as a theatrical form to find
links and connections to all committed to the power of theatre in making a
difference in the human life span .The carnival is in the mould of applied
theatre, about which creates a practice that seeks to debate vital issues and
see those concerns transformed into new stories, to provide people with a means
to work their way through difficult periods.
The acclaim of the
carnival also arises from the nature and quality of artistic display or
performance. The carnival is an assemblage of visual and performing arts
displayed as costumes, make-up, dance, choreography, props, carnival float on
wheels, special effects and sound production. Many of the presentations are
products of complex creations usually put together by groups of artistic and
technical personnel with the aim of depicting indigenous culture5.
Therefore,
this study will examine Carnival Calabar and the promotion of indigenous
culture in Cross River State from 1999 to 2013. The study systematically lays
out the general themes of the carnival through the period of study (1999–2013),
and the band’s interpretation using the float as an index throughout the years
under review. The float is so chosen because it is the most dominant singular
visual art form in the carnival train and can be described as ambulatory
scenery that embodies the theme of the production in aesthetic and functional
units that depict indigenous culture.
1.1 Statement of research problem
The Cross River State government has
mapped out some strategies to conceptualize and implement an integrated tourism
master plan that will give a unique tourism flavor to visitors and residents of
the state. The unique festivals and recreational facilities that abound in the
state have not been fully developed to international standards and adequately
utilized in order to enable them showcase the rich tourism potentials of the
area. This under development as in the case of festivals and recreational
facilities could be traced to inability of both the government and private
sector to invest sufficiently in these tourism sub-sectors. This could also be linked
with inadequate information on the tourism potentials that are inherent in the
development of festivals and recreational facilities. To a large extent, little
is known about the vote of this festivals and investment in recreational
facilities in the development of tourism. This study therefore examines the
influence of Carnival Calabar on the development of indigenous culture of Cross River state.
1.2 Objectives of the
study
This research evaluates carnival Calabar
and the development of indigenous culture in Cross River State.
Secondly, the study systematically lays
out the general themes of the carnival through the period of study (1999–2013),
and the band’s interpretation using the float as an index throughout the years
under review.
Thirdly, to examine the effect of
Carnival Calabar, on organization and expression of thoughts towards improving
the lots of the society.
Finally to provide a base for further
research adding to existing literature as well.
1.3 Scope of study
The
scope of the study is narrowed down to Cross River State. Cross River State is
located in the southern part of Nigeria, It has 18 local Government Areas richly endowed with wonderful indigenous
culture.
1.4 Significance of the
study
This
study will be relevant to government, organizations, communities and private individuals who are event managers. The findings of this study will
enable government to make policies that will enhance the development of the
carnival as well as create enabling
environment for the carnival to thrive. The study will also be of importance to
organizations to invest and market their products during the period of
carnival. It will also help communities to showcase their cultural heritage as
well as develop them. Individual will
also have opportunity to display their talents and other theatrical abilities
during the carnival float.
1.5 Research
Methodology
The research work employs a library based
methodology as emphases will be laid on primary
sources to include; Oral interviews, reports, articles, unpublished works etc.
The Secondary data will be obtain from materials such as Newspapers, Internet resources, seminar
papers, Textbooks. These will in no doubt give a holistic approach to achieving
the objectives of the study.
1.6 Chapterization
The
study is divided into five (5) chapters, chapter one the chapter one is about
the introduction of the work that is background
of the study, aims and objectives of study, scope of the study, research
methodology, literature review,
chapterization. Chapter two gives a detail account of the establishment of
Calabar Carnival, chapter three focuses on Carnival Calabar and socio-economic
development, while chapter four discuses the impact of Carnival Calabar on
indigenous culture and Chapter five will be conclusion, recommendation and
bibliography.
1.7 Literature
review
In recent times Festivals and events
have been view by various scholars as having a range host destinations, and
they in most cases are divided into economic, socio-cultural, environmental and
political impacts (Baugh, C., 2005). Many researches on event has it main focus on assessing the economic
impacts of events with less empirical research on socio-cultural impacts. Even
less attention has been paid to environmental impacts of events. It has been observed
that many scholars have placed more emphases on the economic impacts partly
because of the need of event organizers and governments to meet budget goals
and justify expenditure, and partly because such impacts are most easily
assessed. (Agnes, K.,2004)
Recently, it has been recognized that
the economic aspect alone is insufficient, and awareness of the need to measure
also the intangible socio-cultural impacts has been increasing in recent years
( Taylor P., 2005).The locals have most often been the interest group that is taken into accounts.
Today socio-cultural impacts of festivals are very difficult to measure and as
a result, some frameworks and scales have been developed to effectively evaluate their impact on the
people and the environment (Thompson, J.,2001)
Much work has been done in an attempt to
develop standardized measures for economic and non-economic impacts of carnival
events. The lack of standardized approach
has limited the comparability between events evaluation across economic, environmental and socio-cultural
criteria. Equal emphasis must also be placed on evaluating both event. (Brockett,O
and Ball. R.,2004.)
Recently, an attempt towards a holistic
approach in impact evaluation has emerged, and comprehensive work has been done
to weave together all the different components of event evaluation into a
single framework so that overall assessment can be made (Olapade, W. 2011). An
evidence of this holistic approach is tripple bottom line borrowed accounting
and finance, and it brings together the social, economic and environmental
aspects of events into one framework (Taylor, P., 2006).However, many
researchers have been conducted in a global perspective but none has
highlighted the cultural impact of these two leading carnival events with specific reference to Cross River State
which is the gap in literature that this work wish to bridge.
Carnival
and culture have a whole lot in common. Just like carnival is an integral
aspect of human life, culture too is the totality of human life and culture is
seen in the eyes of carnival. Carnival is a product of culture and one cannot
do without the other. The centrality of carnival to cultural sustenance of
Trinidad and Tobago has been stressed in the various Carnivals, Calabar pre-event
publications.
However,
these publications have opened a new window on carnival, highlighting carnival
as a space in which history as memory and national heritage are continually
being made and remade. This explains why most countries that organize carnival
do it in a way that it can teach young people about their roots and culture;
and one of the best ways to teach young ones, is through the performing arts,
as it provides the avenue for young people not only to see physically
socio/cultural features of their society, but it offers them the privilege to
practically experience the working of their culture.
In the carnival
and event brochure 2010, in a bid to
make carnival a cultural event, the former Governor of Cross River State,
Donald Duke has ensured that communities work together to develop stronger
friendship and greater love for their respective cultures and the other
cultures of the world. (Carnival, Calabar preview 2010, 35), declares that
carnival is an art, and as an art, it offers as all dynamic arts, the tool as
self expression and exploration which helps us go out in search for our roots
which is our cultural heritage, and this ultimately, helps us celebrate what
make us different from the rest of the peoples of the world.
Carnival like culture creates a sense of
value and belief in individual or the culture of a community. It helps the
people to appreciate what they have as a people, it enables visitors to
interact with the host community and helps the people enjoy and meet with
others. Carnival provides both the host community and visitors alike with a
unique vibrant and valuable culture.
1.8 Theoretical
framework
The Calabar Carnival is a tourism and a recreation
project. Demand as well as supply of recreational and tourism facilities is
directly related to higher living standards, higher income, greater education,
improvement in transportation facilities, political stability longer vacations,
etc. These issues have been dealt with by many urban and regional planners. In
general, recreation and tourism are viewed as service industries (Eglash, R.,
2005). What this means is that not so much of economic benefits should be
expected from it as it is a bag of mixed blessings.
Two theories which have captured the
place of tourism in the development of third world economies are the functional
approach and the political economy approach (Lea, 1995). The functional theory
according to Martins (2011) and as amplified by Packer, W. O., et al (2003) is an analytical approach to the
complex issues of tourism. This theory sees tourism as an activity or a process
which can be broken down into three main sub-divisions. The first he called the
dynamic phase. This covers the movement of the tourist to and from the
destination. The second phase is the static element which focuses on the ‘stay’
of the tourist and the third is the consequential element which involves the
description of the impact of the tourist on the economic, physical and social
environment of his destination. The functional approach is a model for looking
at tourism as an interconnected process or a system with inputs, and outputs,
links and feedback mechanisms. The functional view pays little or no attention
to issues of profitability, economic exploitation and inequalities preferring
rather to focus attention on how to provide a description of the attributes of
the industry in terms of the tourists, their destination and various impacts.
On the other hand, the political economy approach clearly
states that tourism perpetuates many existing inequalities despite its
considerable benefits to poor countries . Unlike the functional approach, the
political economy approach probes beneath the mere surface characterization of
the industry. This theory views tourism as emanating from the desire of the
affluent middle classes in metropolitan countries to travel abroad. It contends
that the companies which have emerged to service the tourism industry have
organized themselves in a manner to best exploit the tourism demand. And such
companies include hotels, airlines and tour guides. For the Calabar carnival,
we may add the costume designers and a litany of middlemen and women. The
consequence is that a bulk of the tourist expenditure is retained by the above
cabal. In addition, these agencies ensure that the tourist is confined to
isolated enclaves separated from most of the local population. And finally, the
tourist package makes it impossible for host countries to gain adequate control
over their own visitors. In fact this approach sees nothing economically or
socially beneficial in engaging in tourism. Rather it views tourism as an
extension of imperialism and a reflection of patterns of trading links and
spheres of influence which must have been established over time.