Yoruba festivals not fetish, means to honouring ancestors — Ooni’s Wife

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

Olori Ronke Ademiluyi, wife of Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye-Ogunwusi has said Yoruba festivals are not fetish but rather a means to honouring and remembering ancestors who achieved great things.

Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi said Oni’s efforts aim to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people to correct the misunderstanding that festivals are fetish in nature.

She said, “His Royal Majesty is trying so hard by making sure that these festivals portray in a way that, because a lot of people perceive our festivals as fetish, they are not fetish, we are just honouring those who did the great things.”

Olori stated this on Thursday at the 2024 Ayan Agalu traditional drum festival held in Ile-Ife, said Ooni of Ife who is a custodian of Yoruba cultures and traditions is trying so hard to promote Yoruba festivals.

She said, “Our Orisa to us are human beings who did exceptional things, and we remember them when we celebrate them when we do festivals, it’s just to honour them.

“We don’t worship them, but we remember them and the great deeds, the exceptional things that they did when they were alive.”

Speaking on Ayan Agalu festival, said it is one of several festivals celebrated in Ile-Ife, including the Olojo, Moremi, and Obatala festivals.

She noted that, Ayan Agalu festival was the patron deity of drumming, especially the talking drum.

Olori said, ‘’The beats of drumming, our ancestors who worked so hard to ensure that our culture doesn’t go into extinction. We kickstarted the Ayan Agalu festival yesterday at Obafemi Awolowo University in collaboration with the Institute of cultural studies where we had a training session for the trainer drumming workshop.

“We went to Atiba, we went to idi-Aje, we went to Oke Itase to pay homage to those who represent the ancient people of old who have done so much in ensuring and preserving and promoting our culture.

“His Royal Majesty, Oni of Ife who is in the custodian of the Yoruba cultures and traditions is trying so hard, we have so many festivals that we do in Ile-Ife, the Ayan Agalu festival, Olojo Festival, the Moremi Festival, the Obatala festival.