Impressions: Through the Lens of the Observer PART II and Final

Impressions: Through the Lens of the Observer PART II and Final

By: Assefaw G/Egziabiher

Turning to the villages of the ethnic groups, no sooner one arrives at the spot than an assignee comes and starts the scheduled explanation. The different explanations of the ethnic group villages are enriched by cultural shows performed nearby or at the side street. A fleeting glimpse at such cultural shows gives one an impressive and refreshing view of the setting. The respective shows glorify country life enviable. The multiplicity of the ethnic groups, no doubt, gives a mosaic picture to the festival. For instance, a minuet’s stay with the Bidawie or the Hidarib enables one to easily see how wonderfully they maneuver the sword and defend themselves and counterattack the enemy through a special military tactics and knacks. Seeing these very brilliant performances, at one point in time, an offshore resident Eritrean child strikingly remarked, “Look! Look, Dad! Oh, I can’t believe my eyes!” Indeed so: one couldn’t believe one’s eyes. It was really miraculous! Their thrilling cultural shows captured the eyes of the onlookers, be it Eritreans or strangers. What was more heartening was their unique lyrical song performance for war and peacetime as well as for love that conquers everything. One says that different tunes and beats signal and signify different messages which members of the society interpret and jump to their feet for a call of reaction. Such songs of bravery deeply seat in the cultural traits of this ethnic group, as they do in other ethnic groups.

The ‘Siera’ musical performance of the Tigre ethnic group was another breathtaking show. It was really a miracle to the spectator. The charismatic flexible performers, who get accompanied by the lyrical musical show, make fantastic displays by seeming so spineless.

If one happens to pay another fleeting visit to the Tigrigna ethnic group, one can hardly find an idle bystander. When a certain group naturally gyrates, others sing or clap their hands harmoniously. It goes without saying that classical songs like:

• Sesinu sesnu
• Enqe’a Taff kunu
• Ata za’adina
• Key’atwa guana

Rarely pass without being sung or noticed. This song, which is sung in chorus, conveys a deep- seated exhortation or entreaty to an incumbent Eritrean generation and posterity as well. The makeshift translation runs as: Do multiply and be a dependable source,

By being as countless as the grains of ‘taff’ contained in ‘enqa’a’,

Lest our beloved Mother country be encroached, By an unchecked alien force! (taff, a minute East African cereal which after being grind and fermented becomes ‘injera’ (bread), a staple food in Eritrea, while ‘enqa’a’ is the name of a certain measurement of grain in volume which weights about two kilos)

Moreover, the beating of drums, an African long-standing meaningful call for a collective action and participation, magnetizes dancers, singers and musicians to harmoniously join hands and make others go spinning turn by turn expressing their feeling in action by saying, ‘esctishim’-an expression of inner most ecstasy or sentiment exclusive to dancing. “O festival”, said one of the ardent admirers of festivals, “may you come year in, year out filled with joy and peace!”

The writer also happened to stumble upon a Kunama compound accommodating mostly two shelters: the ‘laita’ and ‘nawadie- ita’ meaning the lodge and the main dwelling house respectively. The assignee, Ms. Semira Idris Mohammed (in reference to the festival of 2010), a teacher by profession, started to explain about the cultural values and means of livelihood of the Kunama ethnic group. She also talked about the importance and interesting role of the ‘Sanga-Nene’-the Gid anointed local wise intermediaries who live among the Kunama people. With a glowing face, she went on to say that when conflicts or feuds arise amongst the Kunama, it is the lofty mission and sole responsibility of the ‘Sanga-Nene’ to settle them promptly and peacefully in cooperation with the wise men of the respective family members.

She also added that ‘thanks to the intervention of these ‘sanga-nene’, most of the time members of the Kunama ethnic group don’t attempt to go to any nearby official courts to file complaints or other similar cases. Such healthy, communal judicial contribution plays an exemplary role in settling local disputes, which is up to the mark.

The heart-stopping performance of the folklorists was another center of attention. A glance at such representative performance makes one wish and turn back the clock to the time of the forefathers and thereby to rediscover their pearls of wisdom afresh. The folklorists are really, as one can say, the cords of the shimmery past by the power of their word and mouth. What is more heartening is that these folklorists are still in good standing and can pass on the long-standing legacy into the future. Such untapped resourceful figures need to be entirely utilized and encouraged before it is too late. As standard and torch holders, their touching performances leave imprints in the hearts of spectators.

In short, a simple visit and stay with the different ethnic groups speaks volumes for the social, cultural, economic, indigenous nature and other aspects of life, in the country.

Thanks to the various cultural and modern musical performances and other activities, the festival ground remains fully attended, like an interesting conference or workshop that remains in full house. The role of musicians, pop singers and other tops become contributive enough to the vibrant life of the festival during its ten-day span of activity. They get ready and willing to seize this opportunity to renew their connections with the public. It is also a golden opportunity for the green or novice singers and musicians to make their debut to the public. As the festival ground enjoys the attendance of the majority, it also attracts both parents and children to avail themselves of the occasion. Upon arrival, children get awed till they feast their eyes on the general set up. They observe many things as their eyes can see. Fidgety as they are, they soon start to shuttle here and there to explore what is around. The short trip they can make with the railway engine comes uppermost to their mind. If given the chance, their choices and demands are many and varied. Pestered parents fulfill their demands willy-nilly by trying to please them even if they cry for the moon, “somebody’s eyes are bigger than their stomach”, as they say. It is quite natural among children to be on their own so that they can go anywhere as they please. However, care needs to be taken lest they should lose track. If that happens, thanks to the patrolling youth and the immediate and continuous announcement made by the provisional studio or min- media, unattended children who stray from their parents or minders get re-united by and by.

Moreover, for humanity owes the child the best it has, appropriate provisions are made ample and available for children. Old and newly published books, which usually gear to the interest of children, get on sale at reasonable prices. The playgrounds are so childproof that they can enjoy them on their own without any worry or strict parental attendance. The swings and other amenities arrest their interests very much. Ok, how delightful it is to see small children dancing and prancing like foals that caper about in the fields! On top of all these, young children benefit from the exhibition of live animals like apes, monkeys, tortoises, etc nothing to say of the other domestic animals like camels and others. This exposure gives the chance, especially to school children, to see for themselves what wildlife looks like. Such opportunity also helps them extend their imagination at times when they listen to storytellers or read story-books of anecdotes, at home or at school. In short, the festival helps young children not only to acculturate themselves to their own sense of identity and source of pride but also explore a new world- a world that they have to win in the future.

The educational villages are other spectacular sites where visitors of all age levels particularly parents and children stream into. These villages, which get organized and run by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the different regional education offices, are wonderful. It was really fantastic to see many trend-setting activities and innovations mastered by budding school boys and girls. Indeed, it was unique to see the design and the designer, the innovation and the inventor, the ‘invention’ and the ‘inventor’, the writing and the writer come together on the floor- show. What is more heartening is, to see them articulately explain what, how and why they create or innovate the things they do. The different competitions on the domains of creative art were also spectacular where one could pin much hope upon the nascent artists to blossom and reflect themselves as sources of national pride in the future.

Turning to the other educational performances, one could enthusiastically observe a set of paired up middle-versus-middle and secondary-versus-secondary student-debater on given topics that interest the audience, including the debaters themselves and the academic world. These debaters are the elect of respective regions brought for the national contest. The contest is run neck and neck. Sometimes, one can observe debaters to wrest the microphone from each other in order to foil an argument by and by. Such phenomenon was observable, especially during refutation and rebuttal turns that make the contest seem a ‘cockfight’. Each debater tries to standout by expressively out performing one’s rival at the sea of faces, which includes the audience, the judges and respective regional contest coordinators who are the main forces behind the debaters as architects of the presentation. The attendance to such contest, no doubt, was worth one’s time. Full attendance makes one see junior students bite deep into subject areas of contest. These fledglings, with a promising start, make use of such forum to check and know themselves and identify their talents. Besides, such opportunity helps them set a trend and find their feet as pundits in their own right, when they grow up.

In conclusion, the ten-day annual festival come to consummation upon the meticulous evaluation of many and varied performances in schedule. Accordingly, material and financial incentives, not to mention issuance of certificates to all participants, are dished out to those who deserve them. Such recognition of contribution spurs artists and other actors of the festivals to heighten their efforts. However, more effort needs to be done to best ranking pudding school boys and girls, the future of the nation, to sustainably develop and fulfill their self-rewarding potentials.

Through the lens of the observer and as the pen sees it, the running of such annual festival need to be encouraged and continued by the general public in collaboration with the government because the festivals are important conduits for the safeguarding and passing on of societal long-standing values and intangible cultural heritages to posterity, not to speak of the recreational purpose, which visitors enjoy in general, and the psychological and educational advantages that competitors and performers gain from such national festivals and exposures in particular. Long live annual festivals!

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