Previous | Next :: Eyo Masquerade : Lagos : Nigeria | November 26, 2011, 7:30 pm

Only the Yoruba people of the southern Nigerian city of Lagos observe it, but this slightly scary festival is a huge event...... if you don't observe the rules you can be severely beaten by the Evo Masquerade........ so i was slightly wary of shooting this .......

Like I say the festival has very strict protocol: when the Evo masquerader comes toward you, you must take off your shoes and stop immediately if you are riding a motorcycle etc . You can't photograph the Eyos, smoke, wear a hat or hold umbrellas, even if it's raining. Women must wear skirts instead of pants blah blah , and you can't weave around in front of Eyos. If you break any of the rules, the Eyos will beat you up with the bamboo stick. No kidding! But if you obey the rules, the Eyos use the same bamboo stick to pray for you. There has been some violence at the festival before now, and people are kind of reluctant to talk about any aspect of it ...... so I just don't get it..... if anyone really knows what this lot whole thing is about let me know...... cos like I say I really don't get it :-))...... but at least I did survive my first encounter with an Eyos Masquerade unscathed :-))

Yeah...... I was wearing shoes and obviously making a photo........ I had a feeling it might all go horribly wrong........ but it was actually fine......... the Evo waived his stick threateningly then i stopped shooting......... then he went after some others.........hehehehe.........

I gotta get on with it...... download the shoot and I got to pack my gear..... ready to get out of here at 6AM tomorrow :-))))))))

Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

www.jezblog.com