Nigeria's Lagos Black Heritage Festival features poets and colorful parade

April 10, 2012

The fifth annual Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF) was held this week at Freedom Park on Lagos Island, and for the first time, no speeches were given. Instead, the Nigerian Tribune reports the festival featured masquerades, parades, dancing and poetry readings by some of the nation's leading wordsmiths. This year's theme, "The Black in the Mediterranean Blue," inaccurately depicted the LBHF, as Lagos state governor Babatunde Raji Fashola dubbed the event a "festival of colors," the publication reports.

"It was not easy but as they say, practice makes perfection," parade choreographer Peter Badejo told the news source of his troupe's performance. "We are not perfect yet because we face challenges every year."

The Night of Poetry event at the festival featured 16 Nigerian poets and 16 Italian poets, who focused their poetry around the theme of the LBHF. They spoke about trade, religion, politics and migration among other things, according to Vanguard. Some of the works were even acted out by veteran actors Jimi Solanke and Tunji Oyelano.

Those who want to find out more about the festival can make calls to Nigeria with international phone cards to speak with their friends and families.

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