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Prior to the release of the documentation for the 2023 edition of the Ojude Oba festival by the cinematographer, Niyi Fagbemi, I did not know about the existence of such a beautiful cultural festival that highlights the Yoruba culture. The creativity of Niyi to put together a short documentary for the festival was the right amount of exposure the festival needed to be in the spotlight. The documentary amassed a total of 20.3 million views on X alone! That’s cool Elon Musk’s money right there only if he was verified.
This year, a lot of photographers trooped to Ijebu Ode to capture pictures about the festival, all following the path Niyi Fagbemi forged. They are all doing their jobs well but let us not forget that Niyi Fagbemi started it all. His style of photography inspires storytelling and that concept distinguished his bespoke photographs from other pictures that were released from the Ojude Oba Festival this year.He is cooking his magic again!
Who is Niyi Fagbemi?
Niyi Fagbemi is a visual creative that specialises in travel and documentary filmmaking. To simply put, he is renowned for his creativity and insightful drive on culture and Africa’s heritage.
Photo Credit:- Niyi Fagbemi|X
He has made quite a number of documentaries for international organizations. His style of photography and videography is explorative which enhances his storytelling. His X page bears his creativity all over. Niyi Fagbemi is also an engineer and a twin!
The impeccable visual creative has not released a video documentary for this year’s Ojude Oba Festival yet but you can indulge yourself in the photographs he has released in the embedded post below.
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What is the Ojude Oba Festival?
In a post shared by a netizen identified as Tao of Iperu on the microblogging site, X, he was able to disclose five notable things you need to know about Ojude Oba, read below:
1. Annual Celebration
Ojude Oba is an annual festival celebrated by the Ijebu people of Ogun State on the third day of Ileya (Eid Kabir).
2. Homage to the Paramount Ruler
The main theme of Ojude Oba is to pay homage to the Paramount Ruler of the Ijebu Kingdom, the Awujale of Ijebu. This festival serves as an opportunity for the Ijebu people to show respect and allegiance to their king.
3. Unity and Cultural Heritage
The festival fosters unity among families, clans, and the hardworking sons and daughters of the Great Kingdom. It brings together different cultural age groups, known as regberegbe, along with indigenes, friends, and associates from far and near.
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4. Community Contributions
These regberegbe groups and families have unique ways of giving back to society, often through community projects within the Ijebu Kingdom. The festival is not only a cultural celebration but also a time for communal development.
5. Notable Balogun Families
Prominent among the families associated with Ojude Oba are the Balogun families, who are well-known for their horse riding and distinctive lifestyle.
Some notable Balogun families include:
1. The Balogun Kuku family
2. The Balogun Alatise family
3. The Balogun Agboola Alausa family
4. The Balogun Otubu family
5. The Balogun Adesoye family
6. The Balogun Odejayi family
7. The Balogun Adesoye Onasanya family
8. The Balogun Towobola family
9. The Balogun Aregbesola family
10. The Balogun Ajibike Odedina family
11. The Balogun Odunuga family
Social media and its preservation of cultures
It is not doubt that social media recognition has brought the festival to the screens of people all over the world. The social media is indeed a tool if harnessed by cultures can increase its reins. The Yoruba culture has received so much popularity and I don’t see it going extinct anytime in this century or the next. Thanks to storytellers like Niyi Fagbemi! Let us do all we can to preserve our culture.
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