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    Celebrating the Dead in Kalabari Land
    Celebrating the Dead in Kalabari Land
    Celebrating the Dead in Kalabari Land
    Ebook101 pages53 minutes

    Celebrating the Dead in Kalabari Land

    By Sonny Oko Braide

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    About this ebook

    Celebrating the Dead is intended not only to bring to the worlds attention the way the Kalabari people honor their dead, but also to unearth the origin of the Kalabari nation, which is lost to nearly all of the citizens old and young - who are ignorant of their origin. The foundation of this great people, like many other African tribes, is lacking in written form, and so, almost all sons and daughters of their community do not know their ancestral history. In Kalabari land, here and there in songs, expressions, and folk-tales, one hears of some strange names, whose identities are hidden away in very few written forms in university archives; or mere expressions from elderly people and names of living persons.

    Celebrating The Dead is intended to share this information with the new generation of the Kalabari people, many of whom will love to understand the true meaning of the names of their fore-fathers, and where they came from.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateMar 23, 2012
    ISBN9781477236055
    Celebrating the Dead in Kalabari Land
    Author

    Sonny Oko Braide

    Sonny O. Braide is an avid lover of culture and writing, and has been in these two professions for over 50 years. He was born into culture, but has only just now decided, in answer to many prompting from loved ones and friends, to publish some of his writings in book form. He retired from the Diplomatic Service, after serving the Nigerian government in North America, Europe, Africa, and South-East-Asia, for over 20 years, and moving to the United Nations field service for about four years, in civil-war-torn Liberia. Mr. Braide hailed from Bakana, Kalabari in the present-day Rivers State of Nigeria. He tasted Western education in that town’s Christ Army Church Primary School, and worked his way up. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. In addition, he holds several professional certificates and diplomas in Computer Science, Secretarial Science, Sales, Customer Care, and Clinical Medical Care. Before joining the Foreign Service, he was a very active performing artiste in the Kalabari tradition, and participated fully in the cultural activities of his native land – and Ijaw ethnic tradition. Bringing this culture to the limelight in the Nigerian stage since 1958, Mr. Braide was part of the delegation to the First All African Festival of Arts and Culture which took place in Algiers, Algeria in 1969, winning for the country it’s only title – a bronze medal. He now lives in El Paso, Texas with his family. Mr. Braide can be reached by email at: Sobraide@yahoo.com.

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      Book preview

      Celebrating the Dead in Kalabari Land - Sonny Oko Braide

      2.png

      CELEBRATING THE DEAD

      IN

      image002.tif6076.png

      KALABARI LAND

      DEDICATION

      This book is a loving dedication to:

      My mother who worked all her life as a single parent under very painful deprivations, to provide for me and 4 other children. In fact, she spent her entire life caring for children.

      It is indeed an irony that children never realize the pain mothers go through, especially in Third World countries, to bring them up. That was my case. I was stubborn and selfish. I only asked from my mom and never asked how and where she was getting the food and clothing I cry for. I gave nothing in return. Her simplest request of me - to fetch a bucket of water or to wash the dishes I used for eating - would attract an emphatic No. That would delay or deprive me of my playing time. Yet she loved me still.

      Only after becoming a parent, did I begin to feel my mom’s pain in bringing me up. No child can indeed, fully repay the debt he/she owes his/her mother. I thank the Almighty for giving me the opportunity and the wherewithal to give her the befitting funeral she more than deserved. And this book is yet another opportunity for me to say Thank You Mama.

      My Wife, my best friend and my life-partner, Queenba Braide, who turned my life around from a mere local music-playing individual to a very successful and happy family man with so many children calling me Daddy.

      Recognizing my love for writing, Queenba urged me, as she had always done in all my successful endeavors, to let as many people as possible know about the unique way the people of Kalabari honor their dead. Thank you, LV.

      My daughter, Bibi Braide, who insist that I must write this book for posterity. Bibi left her birth place too early to see the beauty of the culture in her native home land. After developing into a complete woman in America, she started seeing glimpses of the way her people do their many celebrations. Indelible among them, is the celebration of the dead, and she joined her mother to urge me relentlessly to document it in this form. I am very grateful for her encouragement.

      C O N T E N T S

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

      KALABARI FORMATION

      MODERN KALABARI

      KALABARI ABANDONED

      RELIGION

      KALABARI TOWNS

      CELEBRATING THE DEAD

      WHO NOT TO CELEBRATE

      WHO TO CELEBRATE

      THE CELEBRATIONS

      THE CEREMONIES

      INTERMENT AND CELEBRATIONS AFTER

      KALABARI – ONE NATION, ONE PEOPLE

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

      I had, since coming to maturity, been eager to know more about my people – the Kalabari people. In this regard, I had for a very long time, been asking questions whenever and wherever I feel appropriate and useful to get information. When seeking for this information, I never had any idea that one day I would ever think of writing a history-like story about this unique people in Nigeria. The invaluable information I gathered has now helped me to state precisely what the Kalabari people are. This history has mostly been lacking; and in a few occasions when something about them is needed, been distorted.

      My many thanks thus, must go to (1) Edeniba Iyalla; (2) Bliss I.S. Iyalla, my mentor in all the Kalabari arts; (3) Mr. Ngeri Rowland, a respected and knowledgeable gentleman from Abonnema; and (4) Mr. Melville Tom Braide, my much respected father figure. Unfortunately, they have all passed on. But my immense gratitude remains alive with them.

      However, there would not have been this book without the gracious participation of my senior cousin, Ven. Ainsley N. C. Iyalla, who took time off his very busy schedule to go into areas where my investigations and historical knowledge were limited, to fish out all the intricate facts and reasons for this book. My great respect and thanks will always be with this Godly gentleman, who had been and will always be the Father figure to me and my family.

      My most sincere gratitude goes to all friends and well-wishers, who gave me insights, suggestions, and advice to make my write-up, thought to be just fun, into a book. Their invaluable assistance is deeply appreciated.

      Finally, my thanks go to all the editorial staff of AuthorHouse who worked on this project to make it a success. Their intelligence, good judgment, professional skill, and very hard work, are deeply appreciated.

      KALABARI FORMATION

      Before going into details, an elaboration of who the Kalabari people are, is very necessary, because the story of this great people had hitherto remained obscure. The foundation of this great people, like many other African tribes, is lacking in written form, and so, almost all sons and daughters of their community do not know their ancestral history. In Kalabari land, here and there in songs, expressions, and folk-tales, one hears of some strange names, whose identities are hidden away in very few written forms in university archives; or mere expressions from elderly people and names of living persons. Being a performing artiste in the Kalabari tradition, my research finally succeeded in opening my eyes with awe as to the origin of these names in songs and stories that I have heard and come across in my many performing years. I, therefore,

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