28/05/2026
HISTORY THURSDAY
RAFFIA PLAY...2
Agu Na Nmadu
Like I said earlier, The Raffia Play is melange of culture. In it you will see the "Nmanwu or Agaba" of Ibo and then the Nwaotam dressing of Ndoki and Opobo is reflected in its appearance. Then there is pure Nwaotam music and drumming that goes with the mask performance.
For the Agu & Nmadu Raffia play of Dappa ye Amakiri polo in Opobo is a fusion. Its' a man cut in the image of an animal. The front part of the mask has a human face, the back is that of a Leopard. What does this mean? This is reality since every human has a dark side and besides some animals are tamed and behave like humans.
Most cultures in Africa are governed by that belief that every man has animal like. In Ibo it's called "Ehihi".
When anger comes what does he demonstrate? An animal. For every human there is fierceness, unpredictability and braveness. That' s the concept behind AGU NA NMADU masquerade.
COURTESY; OPUBO WATCH
