Festival Culture and Performance in Ndashe, the Kuteb Bridal Festival

Abstract

This work examines Kuteb bridal performances to identify changing theatrical patterns occasioned by developing social factors. Ndashe refers to a bride among the Kuteb people of East Central Nigeria where Ndashe bridal festival is a core aspect of their world view. Wedding ceremonies and related performances take place all year round. The festival, often spanning from four to seven days, is structured in a way that various events take place on particular days and performed by specific players. Performances like the Kwin kwab (hoe clanking) and tsin (co-wives rivalry) are traditionally considered critical to inducting a bride into her new home. However, emerging trends reveal a tactful aversion to these performances due to cultural differences in intermarriages and the perception that the performances are sometimes manipulated by evil persons. The paper interrogates the social perception of people in Kuteb society on what these changes portend for the values these practices entrench. The study relied on observation, focus group discussions and oral interviews with various participants and Kuteb community authorities. The paper posits that in Kuteb communities, like many African societies, the passion for theatre is intrinsic to their lives but the impact of social change contends with its survival.