IS CHRISTIANITY CAUSING THE FADING OF M ASQUERADES AND OTHER AFRICAN CULTURAL PRACTICES? The African traditional society is homogenous with its unique characteristic features that set it apart from other cultures of the world.
effects on African communities, they have also dealt a staggering blow to our social, economic, religious, and political systems.
African culture is expressed in its arts and crafts, folklore and religion, clothing, cuisine, music, and languages. Some of our beliefs and practices appear to be evil in contemporary society and, therefore, have been sermonized against by Christianity. One of these practices affected is the African Masquerade dancing.
Christianity has acted as a social revolutionary force in our societies. It should be noted that some of the changes are inevitable because they are a part of the survival strategy. however, others are irresistible in the presence of conquering culture.
Masquerades are multimedia events that often include not one but several masked dancers embodying various spirits. For example, Nigeria?s annual Egungun masquerades bring the ancestors back to town dressed in magnificent clothes. Families own the masquerades, so as many as possible who can afford the cost of the elaborate costumes and other requirements for participating are represented in the week-long festival. The Dogon dama of Mali has at least seventy masks that comprise a visual summary of the Dogon world, from the creation to the present. In contrast to these large masquerades, Angola?s Chokwe and Congo?s Kuba require only two or three masks to represent their ancestral spirits. Christianity has in the past had a major impact on Masquerades and African culture and it is still doing so now. Although it has brought in some positive influences or possible
African Christian scholars have been singing, like a hymn, the need to enculturate Christian religion in Africa. According to them, the Christian religion that the Western missionaries brought to Africa was packaged in the ?garb? of Western culture and values. One of the African Christian scholars has made recommendations that there should be respect for one?s belief, especially when it?s not illegal and no one gets hurt. Some Christian leaders will tell you, "give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give God what belongs to God? In Abuja Nigeria, some lovers of masquerades have called for partnership with governments and the citizens to revive masquerade festivals as cultural entertainment rather than being regarded as a fetish. The masquerade enthusiasts, who made the call, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said this would stem the rapid fading away of masquerade festivals in the country and encourage Africans to embrace their rich heritage. 54 The Diaspora - African Magazine | Jan 2022
