Oba Oliwo declares Odo-Egiri a stronghold of ancestral preservation as festival blends heritage, empowerment, and celebration.
Amid drumming chants, ancestral displays, and a colourful parade of tradition, kakalistiq.com reports that the ancient town of Odo-Egiri, nestled in the heart of Eredo LCDA, Epe Division, once again affirmed its pride of place as a cultural citadel and custodian of enduring heritage. The occasion, held on April 19th 2025, was the kingdom’s Eebi/Kilajolu Festival, an age-old celebration deeply rooted in ancestral worship, indigenous identity, and communal unity.
With the regality and pride of a monarch firmly anchored in the heritage of his people, HRM Oba Musilu Abiola Oliwo (Gbadewolu 1), the Aladepekun of Odo-Egiri, reaffirmed the uniqueness and undiluted nature of the community’s traditional practices, stating that no wave of modernity or Western influence has been able to erode their time-honoured customs.
“Odo-Egiri is observing this festival in a very different way. In whatever you are doing, you have to flaunt it to the world because we observe our real culture. Talking about cultural practices and celebration, there is no community like Odo-Egiri,” the monarch declared with resounding pride.
At the core of the festival lies the Kilajolu masquerade, an ancestral spectacle steeped in mystique and revered as the symbolic gateway between the living and the spirits of forebears. Its theatrics, sometimes symbolic in physicality, have become the cultural heartbeat of Odo-Egiri’s identity, drawing back natives, extended families, and tourists who gather to partake in a weeklong immersion of ritual, music, dance, and communal bonding.
The monarch underscored the kingdom’s spiritual discipline, noting the consistent worship of indigenous deities across the community as a mark of devotion to heritage and authenticity. Unlike other communities where culture has succumbed to modernity, Odo-Egiri, he said, has chosen to preserve rather than adapt, and in doing so, it has created a sanctuary where tradition thrives and history breathes.
But this year’s edition was not only a celebration of the past; it became a canvas for the future, as the youth of Odo-Egiri took centre stage, introducing empowerment initiatives and resource mobilisation to expand the festival’s relevance and impact.
“The youth are really trying in the Odo-Egiri kingdom,” the king noted. “I pray that everyone who has come to witness the festival will journey back to their destinations safely.”
Speaking on behalf of the youth, the community youth leader, Comrade Saheeed Olaide, explained that the festival has now become a rallying point for sons and daughters in the diaspora, many of whom stay connected through livestreaming and generous contributions, ensuring they remain spiritually and emotionally tied to the homeland. “Our culture is not the same as Christianity or Islam; this is who we are, and that’s why it cannot go extinct,” he said.
In a moving appeal, Mr. Waheed Ogunnorin, a respected community elder, encouraged all stakeholders to uphold peace and unity in the town. He also urged the monarch to continue championing reconciliation among all indigenes, both at home and abroad, to ensure communal cohesion and cultural elevation.
The climax of the festival came alive with a thrilling musical performance by Fuji maestro Ayinde Benbela, blending entertainment with spiritual ambience and highlighting the perfect marriage of ancestral tradition and modern artistry. The presence of kings, chiefs, and cultural custodians from far and wide further added gravitas to an already momentous occasion.
As the drumming faded into the night and the masquerades returned to the sacred grooves, one truth stood tall: Odo-Egiri remains a living museum of Yoruba ancestry, where tradition isn’t merely preserved but celebrated boldly, loudly, and with pride.
