Illa People of Zambia

Illa People also known as Babila People can be found in Zambia, they are related to others part of the Bantu speaking people and their language including their culture some are related to the Tonga and they mainly live in Namwala district, which is the principal towns such as Illa, Itezi - Tehzi and Mumbwa districts spread across the 17 Chiefdoms of Illa.  It is said they live in the east - central Zambia along the bend of Kafue river, In the heart of their homeland is a rock on which, they say, is the footprint of all creatures including human beings, Illa believed God the Creator dropped man at that spot and from there they started migrating in other directions. They grow crops such as coconut, cassava, mushrooms, rice, onions, tomatoes, oranges and other crops, they also raised or keep animals such as chickens, goats, pigs on a small scale, and occasionally cows, though that is usually for tradition and prestige. 

They believed that cows are a sign of wealth and value undergirds  in their tradition festivals ceremony lasts several days, on the 7th day after the burial, cows are slaughtered also It is believed that more that are killed, the greater value the death of the person in the eyes of the community afterward, everyone goes home with enough meat to compensate for time spent at funerals. The Shimunenga cattle drive of Illa people, Shimunenga cattle drive is practiced by Ila people of Zambia in Namwala Southern province, this tradition is practiced in the memory of a warrior.  

According to a folklore there was a warrior named Shimunenga he was Illa man and he was chased from Busanga by his elder brother known as Moomba he never showed respect to Shimunenga for being a warrior, Shimunenga settled at Kaane and It is said he was refused to have access to the water where his brother had lived, so he ran and was chased by Moomba and decided to take his cattle with him to Kafune and Shimunenga later went to Mbala, In Mumbwa district to consult a Traditional Priest also referred as native doctor for help through the gods he was strengthened some myths about the native doctor is that he was instructed by native doctor to use his  younger sister for sacrifice and pounded something in a mortar and pestle, his other sister known as Nachilongwe agreed due to the evil attack against her brother during the war as a result, Shimunenga  was encouraged to fight the war and won the battle later he wanted to shut down, the native doctor known as Munga’nga and he never agreed the native doctor would give his brother medicine so he went to Kafue river and asked the Lubunda People if they could help prepared a big canoe and made a hole was covered with mud. While on the river he accompanied a group of men to opened the hole and ensured that the native doctor is died on the river but It is claimed the native doctor disappeared and never returned back again and could not be found anywhere. After the war, Shimunenga went to the Chief known as Mungaila and the village headmen for reconciliation, an agreement was made that when he died, the people of Maala should mourn him Shimunenga by bringing a cattle, since then they mourn him and a traditional ceremony is held on the Kafue flats in Namwala district of Southern Province, the ceremony expresses the people's devotion to their divine ancestors. 

The date of the ceremony is set by a headman known as Amos Kande who is the current headman of the Shimunenga the ceremony is held on a weekend of a full moon and when the first rain have fallen, but they were evidently influenced by, and to some intermixed with people  of another section, which, after passing from the north - east through the Congo territory towards the west coast, curled back again towards the centre of the continent in a south - easterly direction and these statements made on lingusitic grounds .  

According to other accounts on Illa People of Zambia , they are also referred as Babila, Sukulumbwe or Shukulumbwe, they are part of the Bantu speaking people inhabiting an area west of Lusaka the national capital of Zambia. Illa- Tonga cluster of about 12 dialects group such as Koba, Lenje, Tonga, Lozi and others furthermore, Shimunenga cattle drive lasts up for 3 days, it starts on friday, which is a women's day on this day women sing and dance while men drink their traditional sorghum beer as they watch the cattle drive. The men’s day is the second day, on this day women dress in masalu and throw sticks , which symbolize throwing spears at Shimunenga ‘s brother known as Moomba, women perform a dance the Kukonkobela, making music or pounding sticks beaten on cow yokes, other traditional dances perform on this day include Inkazo and mpango appreciation gifts are given to the dancers during this time, people move to the chief’s palace for speeches and praise songs, this is a time for songs and games. 

The Third day is the day for display of cattle at Nalubwee Lubwe, cattle drive takes place on fringes of the Kafue plain in headman shiinge’s area and the first herd belongs to the Chief and his family also the second herd belongs to the headman Chaambwe, the guardian of Shimunenga during the ceremony the people always utter the words, cholwe or oil cholwe.  Illa People are considered as a cattle herding ethnic group inhabiting the valley of Kafue river, a northern tributary of the Zambezi, In what is now Present day Zambia. In the 19th Century they were referred as Mashukulumbwe or Bashukulompo which is a term used by Barotse and it is considered as an insult to use that term, Illa grew some crops, but their lifestyle was based on herding cattle, the floodplain of the Kafue provided excellent pasture, so they were able to raise very large herds more cattle per head than other tribe in the Southern Africa. However, they were surrounded by some very formidable tribes including Barotse, Ngoni, Bemba and Matabele who regarded them as a convenient source of cattle, In 1886 not after a Barotse raid had netted a staggering 40, 000 head, the explorer known as Emil Holub claimed the great herds still remained no doubt that Ila were able to hide many of their beasts in the extensive stands of tall grass which covered the plain while the warriors fought delaying actions against Invaders, and they mounted counter raids in which many stolen animals were retrieved during one campaign in 1880s a Bartose army was isolated and wiped out at the battle of Mbecca, a pile of skulls , erected by victorious warriors as a trophy, was to be seen on site for many years afterwards and Illa produced a variety of spear types, designed for different tasks in hunting, apparently most of the men were unclothed, but hide loincloths and cloth blankets were coming into widespread used by the 19th Century also Tonga, Illa and associated Lenje from the region of Kabwe are grouped together as Bantu Botatwe the three people .   

According to the history of Illa people and origins  their neighbours on all sides belong to the Bantu subdivisions of the Africans, their Ancestors in remote times was believed to moved from Present day Southern Sudan, Babila belong to the Eastern Bantu and came into their present domain on the crest of a wave of emigration from the north - east, from the country around the Southern end of Lake Tanganyika, where Bantu found a new motherland development second focus and radius and According to other accounts they are believed to be located in Southern Zambia it is believed a certain number of spirits were created and given bodies at the dawn of manifestation, when the bodies wear out throughout  times, the spirits live on their own sphere of consciousness and have other bodies prepared for them at the appropriate time, Illa elders cited only 2 exceptions for reincarnation and talking of place like Mizhimo, the gods of Illa unfortunate It is a spiritual evolution been interrupted by sorcerers. In their Culture during the month of October they celebrate harvest festival and Shimunenga celebrated in September, Shimunenga  is held to show respect to their ancestors by thanking them for abundant of food and providing them good health through the year, It takes place once a year and the beginning of the next year, It is held in Maala on the kafue flats three days.  In their Culture they perform dances such as Lao’laxa Ameklu, Inkazo, Mpango, Shikampa, Katazula and other types of traditional  dances.

Ega People of Ivory Coast, West Africa

Ega People also known as Egwa or Dies can be found in Ivory Coast and they are part of the Niger- Congo speaking branch. The Ega Language it is said to be spoken in 21 Villages near Gly in Dies Canton, Goh-Djiboua district in Ivory Coast some of Ega Villages in Ivory Coast are Broudougou, Gly, Daro, Didzo and Douzaroko, they are considered to be part of the Kru ethnic group. It is believed Ega People of Ivory Coast have migrated from Present day Sudan and settled in Ivory Coast but some settled in some parts of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Research proves that in Ivory Coast there are more than 60 ethnic groups. 

Ega People grow crops such as yams, cassava, plantains, corn, cocoa beans which became the main export crop cultivated, their other crops includes millet, maize, peas, peanuts and they have traditional beer and bread. Ega celebrate masks and Yam Festival, the yam festival of the Ega People is a season of thanksgiving for good harvests, they are into agriculture, their major Industries Include Coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar and cotton. In Ega rural areas, women and men divide the labor, with men clearing the land and harvesting cash crops such as cocoa and coffee, while women grow vegetables and Other staples and perform most household tasks and they inherit from their Paternal lineage and Traditional poetry, folktales and story tellers whom are known as Griots.

Betsimisaraka People of Madagascar

Betsimisaraka People can be found in Madagascar and they are part of the second largest ethnic group of Madagascar, they are related to the Merina People of Madagascar. 

According to the Oral history, they founded a Kingdom known as Betsimisaraka in the early 18th Century by Ratsimilaho, Ratsimilaho was believed to unite various Chiefdoms that stretched to the coast it is said the Kingdom was collapsed after the death of the 3rd Dynasty ruler around the 1790s, Betsimisaraka later became part of the Merina Kingdom under the expansion of the Kingdom to further west. 

They are divided into 3 subgroups such as Northern Betsimisaraka, Southern Betsimisaraka and Betaimena their territory stretched along the coast to the Bemariv river to the north and Manajary river to the South the name "Betsimisaraka", means the numerous or the Inseparable.

It is claimed they traced their Origins as far as the establishment of the Confederacy the Malagasy Princess unified several small coastal states in the 18th Century and the Confederation continued after the death of Rasimilaho in 1751, It is said the Southern Betsimisaraka traced their Origins back to the 14th Century to traders of Malay Indonesian, African and Arab Ancestry known as Atalaotra People  who settled on the coasts, Antalatora means the People of the sea.  Atalaotra lived around the manajary river just the South of the Betsimisaraka territory it is believed their Ancestor was Zafi Raminia a King who ruled Mecca spelled as Mekkah in Present day Saudi Arabia around the early 14th Century they were one of the largest group it is claimed migrated eastward from Mecca crossed Abyssania Present day Ethiopia then settled in manajary region to become rulers of the South, Zafi Raminia informed part of the ruling class of Merina who came and dominated Present day Madagascar in the 19th Century their power and prestige derived from their willingness to use their knowledge of  astrology, medicine, divination to serve courts of Kings throughout Madagascar and they once formed groups such as Ateva, Varimo and Tsikoa until the beginning of the 18th Century the people would constitute the core of Betsimisaraka were the Tsikoa to the South,  Varimo to the central and Anteva to the northeast each of the group entered into Conflicts encouraged by the French between the 17th and 18th Century and around 1710  Ratsimilaho made an effort to unify the coastal people and led them into resistance against Ramanano who wished to control over a greater portion of the lucrative commerce with the Europeans upon the defeat of Ramanano. Betsimisaraka were organized into numerous clans under the Authority of Chiefs known as filohany and each typically ruled over no more than one or two villages, around the 1700s the Tsikoa began uniting around a series of powerful leaders It is believed Ramanano was elected as the Chief of vatomandry in 1710 the leader of the Tsikoa and established a military at Vohinmasina,   the Northern Betsimisaraka Zana Malata named Ratsimilaho emerged to unite the clans under his rule in 1710, his reign lasted 50 years and also established a sense of common Identity and Stability throughout the Kingdom. 

In 1817 Radam l King of the Imerina who ruled from Atananarivo the capital of the central highlands, It is said the subjugation of the Betsimisaraka in the 19th Century left them relatively impoverished under colonization by the French from 1896- 1960 a focused effort was made to Increase access to education and paid employment working on French plantations. In their Culture they grow crops such as Cassava, Coffee, Plantains, tomatoes and other crops, they used to be sailors and pirates sailing with larger ships and canoes with 1, 000 men to the Comoro Island to the northwestern Madagascar.

Betsimisaraka women hairstyles their hair braided for 2 or 3 inches then arranged in a ball the two or three hanging down on each side,  women who are Hova hairstyle is similar to their hairstyle, their hair is braided tied in a number of small knots over the head and they are of Malay and Indonesian Ancestry.  According to Anthropologist Aphrodite the Potrait of the Betsimisaraka women circa 1890,  the Betsimisaraka "the many Inseparables", make up approximately 15% and the 2nd largest ethnic group in Madagascar after the Merina they speak several dialects of the Malagasy languages, which is a branch of the Malyo- Polynesian language group derived from the Barito languages spoken in the Southern Borneo and Occupied a large strech of the eastern sea board of Madagascar from Manajary in the South to Antalaha In the north like the Sakalva ethnic group to the west they are composed of numerous ethnic group subgroups united by historical circumstances under the same denominations most of them are also mixed with Bantu and Austronesian roots.

According to Cannon the Bezanozano are one of the earliest Malagasy ethnic group and they inhabited an Inland area between the Betsimisaraka lowlands and Merina highlands their name means " those of many plaits", their traditional hairstyle similar to the Betsimisaraka and Merina.

According to Marie Paez before Europeans, the Arabs were the first who was believed to write arabico- malagasy language almost no Arab speaking people are Interested in Malagasy history very few Malagasy speak Arabic that does not mean the history started with only Europeans but Arabs as well both races,  In Bestsimisaraka Culture some fady or taboo for brother to shake his sister hands or for young man to wear shoes during the father's life time it is forbidden as well against the consumption of pork but they do keep pigs in their Villages. In their traditions they practice famadihana the reburial and Sambatra which is Circumcision, and their symbol is a crocodile but many taboos and folktales revolved around lemurs and crocodile both of which are common throughout their territory.

Traditionally a woman's first child birth a woman about to give birth it is scheduled by midwives in a special house called Komby the leaves she eats from and waste produced by the new born are kept in a special receptacle for 7 days at which point,  It is burned the cooled ashes is rubbed on the forehead and cheeks of the mother and the baby and it must be worn for 7 days, On the 15th day they both bath in a water which is soaked with lemon, leaves this is a form of ritual cleansing to drive away evil forces during the ceremony they gather playing instruments such as drums and other kind of Instruments, wrestling matches,  later the mother must stay in this ritual cleansing known as Komby she is not allowed to cook any meal but they prepare her food and even chicken to eat while the cleansing is over she begin a new life receiving the guidance of the Creator and Ancestors including blessings. In their Culture they celebrate festivals such as Tsaboraha this festival is about 2 purpose either to offer a protective blessing whilst exhuming and moving and as well moving a body or wish for something also this festival held ceremony to collect crops during good harvesting, helping the childless couples as offering they sacrifice Zebu people who cannot afford can offer Sheep to the Ancestors for any misfortune or bad luck.

They celebrate New festival but traditionally celebrate during the late Ralambo's birthday, They celebrate Angaredona music festival and also a performance of their Malagasy Rhythm and Blues and they also perform traditional dances such as Salegy, Larovoka and other traditional dances.

ADESHEWA OGUNDE THE QUEEN OF THE THEATRE

Ogunde could not finish the song several times and HE had to go back to studios at least 3 times before he could wax the song.

Adeshewa was the lioness behind the throne a natural beauty of a woman. Light complexion with  fine hips that Ogunde often admired  on stage.

She played the Saxophone and at the end of plays like Eda: Oh Ogunde and Yoruba Ronu, she and Ogunde on Trumpet would engage in a instrumental duet/ medley to the admiration of the Audience.

She was the stage and set manager always travelling with the troupe while Ogunde would arrive for production later.

Noted for her white apparel what she used as a costume later became part her dressing symbol. Adeshewa had a lovely voice and was the livewire of the Ogunde Theatre group.

It was on such a journey that Adeshewa embarked on, sitting in the front seat with 2 others, that she met her untimely end in a lorry accident near Ogijo in Ikorodu Lagos State.

Her death shook the whole entertainment industry and indeed it affected Ogunde himself as he couldn't find such zeal, dedication and discipline that Adeshewa displayed in managing the organisation so most of the shows attendance fell drastically and his venture into film making did not go too well partly because of the vacuum left behind by this beautiful Angel.

Listen to the recorded music and feel the pain and the emotional stress Ogunde went through in her record.

Her death was then filled with wild speculations, some painted mysterious and spiritual reasons for her death. Ogunde  had just released blockbuster movies Aiye and Jaiyesinmi  both filled with voodoo and witchcraft. 

it got so bad that people insinuated that the second wife who constantly played the role of the witch or bad lady in most of Ogunde's plays was carelessly blamed for her death.

By Otunbzy

Alonso Illecas a Maroon from Senegal, West Africa and his significant role in Ecuador during Slave Trade Biography

African liberator or Marroon  known as  Alonso llesceas was born around 1528 in what is now Present day Senegal he is of Hausa and Mandinka ancestry at age 10.  He was sold into slavery by Catholic missionaries to Spain at a young age he was forced to convert to Catholicism and he was baptized in Seville with the adopted name Enrique translated as Eric in English later the Slave master Illecas gave him the name Alonso de Illescas he learned the Spanish language and he played instruments from Senegal called Kora which is played by the Wolof and Madinka mostly in West Africa, when he was at age 25 he was sold again and transported by Spanish to the Americas which includes North and South America by the family of his slave master in 1553, the merchant ship of the Spanish sailed to Panama then to Peru before he was brought to Ecuador later he rebelled, fought and escaped with other Africans for their freedom.  

According to Afro- Ecuadorian Anthropologist,  Miguel de Balboa Alonso he was once invited to a feast with a chief Chillanduli with the Indian Ecuadorians in Dobe, Alonso Illecas was a brave young man who fought in a war he spoke fluent Spanish and can write it, the Spanish Slave masters wanted to maintained a friendly relationship with him but he rejected it he was once told by a Catholic priest that he was pardon and appointed as a Governor of Esmealdas it is believed he took appointment and wrote a letter to the King of Spain and told him he appreciated his offer but added that before he approve the offer first he have to sit down and talk with his people.

Alonso Illeceas broke the relationship between him and the King of Spain which is dangerous, An Afro Ecuadorian freedom fighter called Maria Chiquinquira Diaz was an Afro Ecudorian woman of Niger Ancestry others claimed her maternal Ancestors came from the Niger regions brought to Ecuador she was the first woman to stand up and fought the Spanish plantation owners called Presbyter Afonso Cepeda de Arizcum Elizondo,  Maria daughter was also captured as a slave she fought for her daughter freedom in 1794.  She freed 1,000 black women in Ecuador and rebelled against the Spanish but she was forced to work on Sundays on the plantations but she refused. 

Afro Ecuadorians are mixed with African, Indian and of European ancestry due to Slave trade the Spanish had children with most of the African women brought to Ecuador but it is believed the Indian intermarried with them, Ecuador has a strong Bantu and Mande influences they still pratice the African Culture combined with the Indo cultures as well, they brought an instrument from Africa called Marimba which is a musical instrument which consist of wooden bars and metal mallets for the West Africans it is derived from balafon. They performed the marimba dances, marimba was a way they expressed their freedom but it was restricted by the Spanish in the early 20th Century they would display their rich culture and traditions, El Azucar dance  traced its origins back to what is now Present day Mozambique it was brought to Ecuador and was performed on the sugar plantations.

Burunge People of Tanzania, East Africa

Burunge People can be found in Tanzania and they are part of the Bantu Speaking people also they are related to the Akie People, Akiek People, Alagwa, Asa, Bembe and Datoga People of Tanzania. They speak the Burunge language which belong to the South Kushitic branch, they are also known as Bulunge, Mbulugwe and they grow crops such as millet, maize, sorghum, beans and sweet potatoes. 

According to the Burunge researched historical account, They belong to a small cluster of ethnic groups in Tanzania known as the Southern Kushites. Their Ancestors are believed to have originated from the Ethiopian Plateau they first traced of this occupation dates from Upper Paleolithic period. At Some time before 1000 Bc waves of caucasiod people began to an out from Southern Ethiopia bringing with them a full Neolithic Culture with agriculture and domestic animals. The differences between the language is of Kushitic origin and has different structure than that of the majority of People in Tanzania who speak a Bantu based languages. During the dry season they turn mostly to socialing from home around their home brewed beer called Pombe. 

The Bulunge People are located in the Kondoa district of Dodoma region, Southeast of Dodoma, Southeast of the Langi Goima, Chambalo and Mirambu villages. It is said lake Burunge is only a 20 minute drive away from Tarangire National Park. Lake Burunge camp consists of 20 luxury tents and 10 lodge rooms located in a Shady bush land grove, with spectacular views onto Lake Burunge. Its main building a central lounge and bar or dining area built on a raised wooden deck . Boma Village is for guest and they interact with the Mbuwge people of Tanzania. Burunge, Sangawe, Tarangire and Manyara were believed to have take part of the great migration from Central Africa. 

The Tarangire river which runs through It is an arid haven, prepared with ancient baobab trees, towering termite mounts, and home to huge herds of elephant, Tarangire is 14Km from Arusha, Tanzania, a Tarangire is known for elephant, buffalos, elephant, zebra and others. Burunge language is spoken in Tanzania has a total of 130 languages, Burunge foods are the same as Other Tanzanian cuisines such as Wali which is rice, Ugali, Chapati, bread, Nyama, Choma, Plantantains, Cassava leaves, beans, green peas, Okra, Kebab, fried cassava dough, rice patties, coconut milk, and other cuisines which are unknown.

According to Akismet historical account, It is said Burunge People had migrated across the Serengeti plains, the most magnificent mountain Kilimanjaro to the north later to the Island of Zanzibar. Others claimed they had originated from either Present day Eritrea or Abyssinia Present day Ethiopia and Present day Egypt before first settling in Zanzibar and settled in their Present day homeland in the Southern Serengeti they used to live together with Hadza people while they were hunting and participated during a war against their enemies. It is claimed Burunge was a former Colony of both English and German, It is claimed Burunge, Iraqw People now farm the fertile volcanic northern Ethiopia bringing with them a full Neolithic Culture with agriculture and domestic animals.

The difference between the languages of the Southern Cushites or Kushities in Tanzania and the Cushites of Southern Ethiopia suggest a long period of Isolation . It is believed Burunge have a language which is considered to be either Bantu or Kushitic origins and has a different structure than that of the majority of people in Tanzania who speak a Bantu based languages. During the dry season they turn mostly to socializing from home around their home their home brewed beer called Pomb3 or Pombe. The Burunge People are located in the Kondoa district, Dodoma region, Southeast of the Langi, Goima, Chambalo and Mirambu villages. It is said Lake Burunge is only a 20 minutes  drive away from Tarangire National Park . Lake Burunge camp consists of 20 Luxury tents and 10 Lodge rooms located in a Shady bush, land grove, with spectacular views onto Lake Burunge. Its main building a Central Lounge and bar or dining area built on a raised wooden deck. Boma Village is for guest and they Interact with  the Mbuwge People of Tanzania and Manyara were believed to have take part of the great Migration from Central Africa. The Tarangire river which runs through it is an arid haven peppered with ancient baobab trees, towering termite mounts, and home to huge herds of elephant, Tarangire is 14 km from Arusha, Tanzania. Tarangire animal symbols include elephants, buffalos, lions, cheetah, elephant, zebra and others. Burunge language is spoken in Tanzania and Tanzania has a total of 130 languages. 

Burunge People went on the Northern highlands on the great rift Valley escarpment around Ngorongoro . Some claimed Burunge and Swahili People their language originates from the Coastal regions and Zanzibar, they traded mainly in copper, salt, Iron and Ivory under the ruler of the first Burunge King Warrior around 1800s, Nyamwezi, Burunge have Inhabited what is now Present day Tanzania, they were claimed to have been in Bagamoyo before leaving Present day Zanzibar. The Hadza and Burunge used to have inhabited the north Central Tanzania around Lake Eyasi in the Central rift Valley into the neighboring Serengeti Plateau, Others believed in a myths that Burunge and Kikuyu or Iraqw have the same Migration history and they both settled at surrounding Karatu town in Arusha region, before Burunge migrated and established their final settlements in their Present day settlements, furthermore, Burunge can be found in Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, the Bantu in Tanzania Include Mbugwe, Nyiramba, Nyaturu. According to Joshua’s historical account, It is believed Burunge have a language of either Bantu or Kushitic origin and has a different structure than other of the majority of People in Tanzania who speak Bantu based languages . Burunge People grow crops such as millet, sorghum , which are grown during rainfalls. During the dry season they turn mostly to socializing from home brewed beer known as Pomb3 or Pombe. 

In Burunge Culture, the most prominent musical Instrument of the day consisted of some wooden spoons and a wooden tray turned upside down . The Burunge creaking sound that caused by the second made by women drumming on their calabashes with stick, while a young man every now and then sounded a waterbuck horn. The Burunge People kept the rhythm by drumming on a upside down plastic bucket. Add to this about ten stamping feet with ankle bells on them, traditionally, old men perform a traditional dance two of our most respectable linguists were pulled into the performance, young girls sit next to someone and smile to one another who can't dance. Buffalo is also a very important also in Burunge tradition, apart from other animals as well as Elephants, Ostrich and Cheetahs.

It is said Mbugwe and Burunge are Bantu People who live beside Lake Manyara near the base of the Great Rift Valley. They are traditionally Cultivators and cattle herders. Their close relations are the Rangi of Kondoa district in the Dodoma region, Other narrations stated or claimed that Burunge, Iraqw and Massai both fought in a war against their enemies , Others Claimed Burunge may have originated from either Present day Sudan, Present day Tunisia or Present day Djibouti some myths. Tarangire National Park have adorable calves all the way.

JACOB ODULATE, THE MAN WHO INVENTED ALABUKUN POWDER

The story you are about to read is about a Nigerian who shook the whole world and the pharmaceutical industry in his days. However, his constituency-Nigeria forgets him. But let's celebrate him today because if he had been alive today, he would probably offer solution to covid 19. Enjoy your reading and don't forget to pass your comments.

Alabukun, one of the oldest drugs in Nigeria and even still very relevant and popular today. However, not many know the Jacob Odulate aka Blessed Jacob, a Nigerian pharmacist, inventor and entrepreneur, the brain behind the brand.

The Alabukun powder is like St. Louis sugar, a product deep in Nigeria's pop culture. Without any advert or commercial, Alabukun remains insanely popular among generations in Nigeria. It has remained relevant through the years and it is very much a household name.

The medicinal powder which is cheap was discovered by a man called Jacob Sogboyega Odulate. He was born in 1884 in Ikorodu. When he was 14 years old, Odulate was determined to make a name for himself. He trekked from Lagos to Abeokuta in three months.

He then start his pharmaceutical business in the rocky city. In 1918 Jacob Sogboyega Odulate, the Blessed Jacob, sat at the work table in his laboratory, writing the notes which contained the formula for what would ultimately be known as his famous patented medicine, Alabukun Powder that is used to treat everything from a migraine to Myocardial Infarction.

Odulate's laboratory was located in Sapon, Abeokuta in Ogun state. It was there he mixed ingredients from Liverpool which include acetylsalicylic acid and caffeine to create the powder. A packet of Alabukun is said to contain "760 mg of acetylsalicylic acid and 60 mg of caffeine making a total of 820 mg."

The success of Odulate's drug is down to the fact that it is a mix of European and traditional medicine. Throughout its 10 decades of existence, Alabukun has never been advertised but it is still very much in demand.

One reason why Alabukun was not advertised was because of its ingredients. It would have made it impossible for it to be in commercials. Pharmacists would have forced the drug out of business.

Another reason for Alabukun not having commercials was because it was wildly popular when it came out. There was a huge demand from consumers.

The enduring success of the Alabukun brand is now interwoven into the fabric of modern Nigeria medical history. The Alabukun Powder in particular is displayed and sold in thousands of pharmacies, markets and roadside stalls all over Nigeria. In many states in Nigeria, Alabukun powder is considered to be the obligatory cure-all for almost every ailment.

In neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic, Ghana and Cameroon, the eye-catching Alabukun brand is to be seen advertised everywhere. Alabukun products are sold in several towns and cities in the USA, the UK, in Europe, Brazil, Jamaica, even as far away as China. You can buy Alabukun products on-line, off-line, under-bridges and over-expressways.

Apart from making the drugs, the energetic Blessed Jacob also produced other brands like Alabukun mentholine, other preparations and an annual journal called Alabukun Almanac which was widely distributed in Abeokuta and eventually all over Nigeria between the 1920s and 1950s.

He sent his children to study at some of the best universities in Durham, Newcastle, United States of America and London. e.g Mrs. Folake Odulate (later to become Chief. Mrs. Folake Solanke) who is the first female lawyer in Nigeria to wear the silk and she also became the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). In 1966, she established the first law firm by a Nigerian female at Ibadan, Oyo State and named it Alabukun Chambers in honour of her great father.

He died in 1962 at age 78.

Alabukun is 102 years old this year. No Nigerian product comes to mind that is a century old and still relevant.

Maravi People of Malawi and Mozambique

Maravi People also known as Nyanja People can be found in Malawi and Mozambique, they are part of the Bantu speaking people and they are considered to be part of the Chewa ethnic group. The Maravi People were part of the large Nyanja migration from Central Zaire to Malawi between the 14th and 15th Century, traditionally they are opened and they accept outsiders to live in their area this is a sign of unity, love and caring as well, Maravi and other ethnic groups have a rich traditions of basket making, mask carving, wood carving, some of these are still used during traditional ceremonies. According to their Oral history through this period of time the ethnic groups on the western side of the Lake had lived in loosely formed local clans, It is believed this started to change with the Importance of the Ivory trade coming out of the Interior, the clans began to move to more centrally located Kingdoms , such Kingdom was considered as the Empire of the Maravi that was formed around 1480 , It was ruled by a Kalonga and was centered on agricultural trade base society , It reached Its peak between 1600 and 1650, when King Masula ruled , the Kingdom maintained good relations with the Portuguese until It collapsed around 1700.  While many ethnic groups in Central Malawi moved toward centralization It is said it was not true the one of the ethnic groups in the northern area, this was Tumbuka, and for them politics had little to do with their clan unity they were united both in culture and language.  In the Maravi Culture they have a matrilineal Kinship system this simply means Inheritance are passed down through the mother’s line, Children are considered members of their mother’s lineage, their maternal uncles which is their mother’s brother, young people choose their own marriage partners however, the marriage cannot be recognized as valid without approval of their maternal uncles.  In their Culture divorce is quite common and rather simple , Polygamy is practiced having more than one wife and According to Anthropologist Joshua the name ‘’ Malawi’’ comes from the Maravi who are descendants of the Bantus who migrated from Southern part of Congo around 1400 AD upon reaching the northern Lake Present day Malawi, the group is divided with one group moving south down the west bank of the lake Chad and they became known as Chewa, while other groups, their ancestors were from Nyanja ethnic group who moved along the east side of the lake to the Southern Malawi. According to Sheila Mcdonald the eastern coast of the continent of Africa has been the focal point of major International trade all the way back to the days of Phoenician traders but even before this time, as far as 8000 BC the pygmy descendants flourished in numbers of sites in the area of Present day Malawi, It is believed evidence has been found of human skeletons flint arrow heads, and Imaginative paintings in their cave dwellings are still in evidence this modern day record Indicate a thriving trade existed between Shirazi Persian Arabs and the east coast of the continent as far back as 1000 AD by 1300 AD the Swahili city states from the region around Present day Somalia, to as far as Southern Mozambique coast , were Involved in trade relations with the Arabs .  Between the 10th and 11th Centuries AD, coinciding with the Iron Age, the Bantus began migrating into the area from Present day Congo, the consolidation of these ethnic groups into what would be known as Maravi Empire during the 16th Century by the arrival of the Portuguese traders. According to James Bruwer account on the Maravi Origin and migration he said from what evidence I have gathered during my period of service among the Chewa or Cewa People of the Eastern Province of Northern Rhodesia, there appears to be no doubt that they are together with a number of kindred subgroups today hailed as different ethnic groups in Nyasaland, Portuguese East Africa and Rhodesia are sections of a once powerful tribe, the Amaravi known as Maravi historical evidence as found as quoted by Mr. Cullen Young also points in the same direction. During the time of Bocarro and Barreto’s writings, the Malawi appears to have been a powerful and well as organized tribe, two Important names were connected with these people Maravi was governed by his Emperor Caronga, the Maravi Empire stretched from Quelimane to Mombasa in 1667, In 1798 at Lupata ends the district of Kinglet bive subject to the Undi or the Maravi Emperor, Lacerda was the lands of Kazembe. Nyasaland is concerned, coincides with findings, among Undi’s the people of the Phili, Banda and Mwale clans are the major clans, Undi himself belong to the Phili clan, the Akhana clan is present  but Insignificant the period of the settlement along the west shores of Lake Nyasa, the great migration southward from a place known as Uluwa It is claimed this must have been right in the heart of Africa, somewhere around the great lakes Tanganyika and Victoria, where it is believed they might have formed part of the Lunda Empire under Msokatanda the one who “ Stitches together” the country It is not Impossible that the name “Maravi” originated here, and that Lake Tanganyika was indeed the Lakes of flame, According to other accounts the Maravi Empire was a centralized system of government established in Southern Africa about 1480, the members of the Confederacy were related to the ethnolinguistic groups who had migrated from the north in Present day Central and Southern Malawi, the Maravi Confederacy was ruled by Karong a King, whose authority was passed down through the leaders of each clans . The main  body of the Maravi Confederacy was settled in an area which is the Southwest of Lake Nyasa , two groups moved south into the Shire river valley during the 15th or 16th Century  and other groups moved into territories in Present day Zambia and Mozambique the confederacy its peak during the 17th Century and ministering a large river area that stretched north of Zambezi river to the Dwangwa river west to the Luangwa river and east to the Mozambique coast, Its decline began when Clan leaders, who traded in Ivory and Iron with the Arabs and even Portuguese which became Increasingly Independent of Central authority of the Karonga by 1720, the Confederacy had broken into autonomous factions.  

According to Sir. Gareth Daney It is said the largest group in Malawi are the Chewa, part of the Maravi Empire who settled in modern day Malawi from the 16th Century, Chewa dominate the Central and Southern regions another Maravi ethnic group dominated the north while Yao and Lomwe moved into Malawi during the 19th Century migrating from Mozambique to escape from wars. The Indigenous People are the 16 major ethnic group such as Makua the largest Southern ethnic group of Mozambique Including Shona, Thonga, Chopi, Ngui, Maravi, Yao, Makua, Lomwe and Makonde lived in the north of the Zambesi river and among the Maravi they performed traditional dances such as Akwa Kwacha, reed dance, Ngau a mask dance and Wakulu dance.

Ukelle People of Nigeria

Ukelle People also known as Kukelle, Kelle or Kele people can be found in Nigeria, they are related to the Tula, Calabar, Sukur, Verre people of Nigeria and they are considered to be part of the Niger- Congo family branch. Ukelle make up half of the population of Yala local government area in cross river state, Nigeria, also they can be found in Nigeria’s States of Ebonyi including Effiom, Ntezi and Okpoto who are also known as Effiom or Uffiom, and the state of Benue Utonkon who are also known as Uffia people and the language of Ukelle is known as Kukelle. The Ukelle major groups among them are Wanihem, Wanibolor, Wanikade, Uzenyi, Wanokom, Otikili, Uzekwe, Okom, all in the North Ukelle, and Uzilagar, Ijiraga, Uzikatom, Uzokom or Ujokom, Otiligom in the south, Ukelle there are also Effiom, Uffiom and Uffia in Ebonyi and benue states of Nigeria.  According to the history of the Ukelle people of Nigeria, It is believed their ancestors moved downwards from benue state, others contend that the ancestors may have moved from the Igboland or Igbo region, Ukelle share similarities with their neighbouring Igede and Yala people of cross river state and Ukelle region is bounded in the north by Igede people of Benue state, In the south by Izzi a subgroup of the Igbo in the Ebonyi state and in the east by Yala and Yatche people of cross river and Ukelle grow crops such as beans, yams, cassava, millet, sorghum, rice and other crops.  In their Culture, the village assembly known as Ojilla is made up of Kings, Chiefs and youths until any settlement of Ukelle makes an Ojilla, they are considered an appendage of the nearest cross river state, Ojilla is used Interchangeably to refer to the village, its square or village assembly. The burial of an Ukelle man or women is the responsibility of the deceased family and the village, a group of villages make up a clan known as essam such as Ogumogoum, Otuka and Opuolom each village are adjudicated by the assembly. According to other accounts on Ukelle migrations from Present day Ethiopia, Present day Lake Chad, Present day Uganda ,  Present day Togo, Present day Mali to Nigeria , It is claimed Ukelle migrated from Abyssinia Present day Ethiopia and settled in north at Present day Lake Chad during the Kanem- Borno Empire which came to power during the 8th Century CE by the 13th Century , Ukelle migrated from Lake Chad to Present day Uganda eastward when the Hausa states began to emerge in the region later moved to  Present day Togo and Mali during the 15th and 16th centuries during the reign of an unknown ruler, they finally settled in Present day Nigeria during the last hausa state had fallen , the exodus of Ukelle believed to have migrated  and originated from Present day Ethiopia and later their migrations to the northern Lake Chad, Present day Uganda, Present day Togo and Mali finally settled in their present day homeland in Present day Nigeria .  The Principal ethnic divisions are Ekuri - Yakurr, Nkembe known as Mbembe, Boki, Yola, Ukelle, Obanlinks, Ejagham or Ekoi and Tiv, who are found in much larger numbers across the border or mush wall in Nigeria, but there are many subgroups in addition , In Ukelle traditions they perform folk songs using musical instruments, food plays a significant role  in ceremonies, normally it is rude and unpleasant not to invite guests to share in a meal when they visits, visitors were also invited to attend an event such as marriage, festivals and baby ceremonies. Among Ukelle couples their traditional marriages are held at the wife or wives to be her house and it is performed according to the traditions , men have the right to have more than one wife, Ukelle still practice the patrilineal descent system within which property are inherited, It is believed they descend from their father's family history is passed through past generations and is traced through father’s lineage and their arts gives a lot values to different types of art, which primarily include Ivory carving, grass weaving, wood carving, leather and calabash, painting, cloth weaving and glass metal work. In Ukelle culture the drums are important instruments apart from rattles, slit. gongs, struck gourds, musical bow, lute, zither, flute, whistle, oboe and trumpets. Ukelle garri is the staple carbohydrate food powdered cassava grain that can be readily eaten as a meal, traditional liquor include palm wine and fermented cassava also traditionally they are engaged in agriculture raising yams, corn, plantain, cassava, women also fish and both of them participate in wood carving and weaving as well. They celebrate harvest Yam festival also the elders sacrificed animals such as sheep, goats or chicken to the  gods and pouring of  libations , everyone joins a feast, their other instruments include wind instrument similar to the flute, they also have a style of music which involves vocal performance  accompanied by several musical instruments such as aerophones are flutes made of bamboo, millet, reed, or the animal horns, gourd, ocarinas panpipes, horns made from elephant tusks or animal horns and trumpets. Ukelle mask include Janus helmet mask this mask is Ukelle unique helmet mask worn by ancient warriors during performances, the performer looked through the eye holes of larger male face, the smaller face of the mask is the female and filed front teeth and raised facial designs that indicate beauty and status also they perform dances such as war dance, acrobatic dance and other dances.  

According to Sir. Eugaba accounts on Ukelle the ‘’Uke means powerful and ‘’Kelle’ means people, altogether the powerful people, the main clans in Ukelle include Wanihem, Wanikade, Wanokom, Ezekwe in Northern Ukelle, and Iijiraga, Ujigatom, Ujokom, Utrigom in the southern Ukelle, they also exist smaller associated villages like Wanibolor, Uzenyi, Otigidi and Okom with slight dialectical differences in northern and southern Ukelle generally, the language is known as Kukelle and they also formed a major part of Yola local government area, cross river state in Southeastern of Nigeria as far back as the 1960, Ukelle sons and daughters schooled locally and even abroad, during this period It is said there was migration of Ukelle in states such as Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Edo, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos, Ujor Dan a fulani and Ukelle by ancestry claimed that ‘’Uke”  means if only trouble makers remember that we are one  and ‘’ Kelle’’ meaning our prayer is that he or she remember also restore, the spirit of ‘’ Bukaat likke ‘’ meaning Unity is strength.

Bilala People of Chad

Bilala People can be found in Chad, they are also known as Bulala and they are part of the Nilo- Saharan group, Bilala Naba is divided into four dialects, It is shared by two of their neighbors in Central Chad such as the Kuka and Medogo. 

They grow crops such as millet, sorghum, cotton, manioc a shrubby plant widely grown for its large, tuberous, starchy roots, In their Culture women have their own lands and they cultivate vegetables as well some practice hunting, they keep sheep, donkeys, horses, camels and other cattle, milking of cows and they use the milk to make butter and cheese, women are very caring, helpful, they help their husbands with farming, In their tradition each village is under a chief, the chief and elders are in charge and also they built round huts which have mud bricks, mat walls and cone shaped with thatch roofs.  

According to Bilala Oral history they first appeared in the 14th Century near lake Fitri as a nomadic clan led by scions of the Sayfawa dynasty, they were believed to be originally a political entity that came about as a result of fusion of Kayi which is old Zaghawa Present day Kanembu, the clan exist even today in Present day Kanem, Ngizimis Kanembu clan, which also  exists even in modern day Dibbinintchi, Lake Tchad Inhabitants of the Fittri region settled east of the Kanem Empire, It is believed they shattered empire’s power five out of six of Kanem’s Kings were killed and died in war between 1376 and 1400. According to Anthropologist Joshua “Lisi” is a term used to describe three ethnic groups living in the same geographical regions of Kuka, Bilala and Medogo. They speak similar languages with the Kuka and Medego, they had intermarriages, share the same Indigenous Spirituality or belief, similar traditions and they are located around Lake Fitri and oum Handjer, the three ethnic groups are descendants of a Yao Sultanate.  

During the 1400s, Yao was founded by Bilala including the culture and language It is believed they are of African and Yemeni origins and in the 1600s, they conquered the Kuka and settled on their land also they are considered as the most dominant in Present day Chad and Polygamy is practiced the act of having more than one wife and a young girl will live in the mother’s hut until she is older enough to get married , a boy reaches adulthood they are undergo Intiation .  According to other accounts they read Qur’an and It is believed among Bilala they read other books which is approved by Allah’s servant, Bilala People believed they have both African and Yemeni Ancestors and their customs and culture were acquired through Intermarraiges, It is said the Kingdom of Kanuri the Kanem- Bornu Empire started with the Dynasty of Sayfawa , which was founded by Say fibn Yazan alos known as Sef Dhu Ifa Zan which is the son of Dhu, Ifazan who was described as an Arab a Yemeni, however before the arrival of Sayf himself the Kanuri People were already existing around Lake Chad area as far back as the 7th Century and absorbing both Indigenous Nilo- Saharan and Chadic Afro- Asiatic speakers or languages resulting in the emergence of the Kanuri language but until the 9th Century that they united with the people of Kanem under the leadership of Sayft Ibn Dhi Yazan to form the Sayfawa dynasty of the Kanem- Bornu Empire, Yazan’s dynasty ruled and controlled the Kanem Empire for about 800 years with the town of Njimi located in the north- eastern part of the Lake Chad as its first capital the Sayfawa dynasty and their subjects later fled to Birimin Gazargamu remained as the capital even after reclaiming of the city of Njimi in the 16th Century , however over the year’s towns and cities like Monguno, Kukawa, Dikwa, Old Maidugri and now Yerwa Maiduguri were all the capitals of Kanem- Bornu Empire expansion peaked during the long and energetic reign of Mai Dunama Dabbalemi from 1221- 1259, Dabbalemi intiated diplomatic exchange with the Sultans in North Africa and apparently arranged for the establishment of a special hostel and a college in Cairo, Egypt Msira in order to exchange Knowledge with the Egyptians and also to facilitate the people of Kanem- Bornu Empire travelling to the cities of Makkah also spelled as Mecca and Madinah also referred as Medina in Hjiaz Present day Saudi Arabia to perform the holy Islamic pilgrimage, this development in Cario means that the Bornu pilgrims travelers to Makkah through Cairo passes through the Suez Canal, arriving at the Sinai Peninsula and finally crossing over the red sea via Sham el Sheikh to arrive in Saudi Arabia and sometimes they even cross through Palestine and Jordan directly to have arrived in Saudi Arabia Makkah, Mai Dabbalemi also reigned the Fezzan region in Present day Libya during his rule and it is believed he made the journey to Cairo much easier and making history logical and geo- historically or more understandable later the Empire ‘s influence extended Southwestward to Kirikasamma. Malummadori, Hadejia down to Kano, eastward to wadai, and southward to Adamawa grasslands with many parts in the present day Cameroon republic including the towns or areas of Kousiri, Kolofata, Garoua and Maroua some include the territories of Rhumsiki and Mora also in Present day Cameroon as part of ancient Kanem- Bornu.

Bilala’s national park is teeming with elephants, lions , buffalos, zebras and giraffes and the home of many early human ancestor traces of their existence have been found in Present day Chad as the remains of Sathelanthropus Tchadensis.

Apoka Karenyanne one of the Warrior Queen of Northern Part of Ghana, West Africa

Apoka Karenyanne also known as Apoka Kayianne or Apoka Akariyanne was one of Ghana’s Unknown Warrior Queen who hailed from what is Present day Bolga Bukere in the Upper East Region in the Northern Part of Ghana, West Africa. Warrior Queen Apoka was from the Frafra Ethnic group which can be found in Ghana, Burkina Faso, she can be ranked or compared to the likes of Yaa Asantewaa of the Asante Nation, Maama Yakagbe of Anlo Nation, Dodi Akabi of Ga Adangme Nation, Kaku Ackah of Nzema, Zabeth of the Mandinka or Mandingo, Nzinga of Mbundu, Angola, Muhumuza of Rwanda and Uganda, Queen Amina of Hausa, Northern Nigeria, Nehanda of Shona Nation of Zimbabwe, Moremi Ajasoro of Yorubaland, Queen Amanirenas of Kush, Kimpa Vita of Kongo, Maria Chinquira Diaz of Ecuador, Idia of Edo Nation, Dedan Kimathi Meru and Kikuyu of Kenya, Mkwavvinyika of Tanzania, Sekhukune of South Africa, Bai Bureh of Sierra Leone, Samori Toure of Guinea, Toussaint Louverture of Haiti, Zumbi Dos Palamares of Brazil, Lat Dior Diop of Senegal, Shaka Zulu of South Africa, Harriet Tubman of USA, Behazin of Dahomey, Amazons of Dahomey, Nana Badu Bonsu of Ahantaman, Francois Mackandal Maroon of Haiti, Dutty Boukman Maroon a Houngan or Bokor of Haiti, Bayano Mandinka Maroon of Panama, Gaspar Yanga of Mexico, Nat Turner of USA, Boni of Suriname, Bussa Igbo Maroon of Barbados. Breffu Akwamu of West Indies, Queen Nanny Maroon of Jamaica and other unknown Afrikan Warriors who rebelled and fought European bandits. 

Apoka Karenyanna also known as Apoka Akayariyanne according to other sources, She is believed to be linked as Part Frafra and Waala by ethnicity or ethnic groups.

Warrior Queen Apoka fought and rebelled against the European bandits and as well murdered the European slave bandits and as well as Slave raiders in Bolga Bukere in Upper East Region of Ghana, Apoka freed many of her people including Frafra and Waala which is claimed , It is believed men of the Village had escaped into hiding while she stood up for her people , she represent bravery, courage and power and eye of resilience  who refused Colonial administration and Oppression she is the warrior Queen and daughter of the Frafra Soil which must be celebrated and honoured. 

According to Oral Historical narration, Her Grandparent was called Atinawarega or Atinawalenga who came from Yuwa or Yurwa after moving North and finally settled at Bolga, Warrior Queen Apoka ‘s family were considered to be the Originators or founders of Bolga areas as well as Ti Na ma, It is said Nomogo, Atinamorega gave birth to 4 Children while other sources claimed that her grandparents joint early two settlers in Bolga. Apoka was the founder of the Ti na Ma in Bolga, Nadure, Atinasaburuga, Namoreko and Namore all formed the Ti Na ma which it is believed were the 4 Children of Apoka Kayianne Atinawarega gave birth to 3 children to 3 children their names were Adongo, Ayo, Akaseka or Akaseca, some claimed she might have ancestral links apart from Frafra with an Unknown Waala Hunter who sorjourned  to Bolga. It is believed Akaseka or Akaseca gave birth to Warrior Queen Apoka Kariyanne, Ankare, Akuluwoko. Apoka Kariyanne led her people the Frafra to freedom or another word Liberation, she fought and revolted against the European Slave raiders or bandits. 

It is said Apoka Kareyanne, decades ago, have migrated from neighboring Upper Volta Present day Burkina Faso to Present day Ghana, where her and the family settled at Bukere a suburb of Bolga precisely at the Bogiss sport stadium with some of her brothers, while others also settled where at Junior Staff Quarter is located. It is believed there were also two well known slave raiders described as being notorious at that time, Samori and Babatus, who terrorised the people with other Europeans of the region and other parts of the Northern regions. It is said they raided the region, caught able bodied men and sometimes women, sold them into Slavery. 

Aware of risking being caught and sold into slavery, they dared or determined not staying around while the raiders were around, the men always fled into the bushes for safely on one of the raiding expeditions , the raiders or bandits did not meet any men but Apoka who was back then could not speak any of the oppressor's language which is English but she could only understand what the slave raiders were asking her about. 

Warrior Queen Apoka fired a shot and pointed her pistol by directing it indicating where the men were, just as the slave raiders turned to go and hunt for the men, Apoka quickly turned and crashed the head of the Chief agent with the pistol. He collapsed, and died instantly. This frightened the rest who ran away never to return. Apoka Karyanne then made a lot of noise to indicate their victory or liberation over the slave raiders, this brought out all the men from their hideouts. 

Apoka Karenyane was honored and held high esteemed for her bravery, sbanditsalso being described as a courageous woman who fought other slave raiders and European Slave raiders or bundits. There is a song dedicated to her which is Tanduga Legbe Ziin in Frafra language meaning which means pestle turned into blood.

Garanganze People of Dr. Congo

Garanganze People also known as Bayeke can be found in Dr. Congo, they are part of the Bantu speaking people and they are related to the Kimbundu people of Angola.

According to their Oral history, Msiri and his people were nyamwezi traders who originally came from around Present day Tabora, Tabora was believed to be founded by so called Arab traders in the 1850s and became a centre for Arab Slave Trade in 1871, the town was believed to be burned when the forces of Wanyamwezi ruler called Mirambo was kicked out the German East Africa protectorate was proclaimed over the region in 1885 but it is said in the late 1890s the German colonial administration did not gain control until later that year, Msiri and his people migrated to Katanga to search for copper, Ivory for trade then they took over and merged wasanga, conquered their neighboring ethnic groups and In 1891 It is said Msiri was assasinated by Belgians of the Stairs Expedition under the authority of Leopold ll to rob the people and their possessions such as mineral resources.

Msiri founded and ruled the Yeke Kingdom in the South east Katanga in Present day Dr. Congo from around 1856- 1891 his real name was claimed to be Mwenda Msiri Ngelengwa Shitambi, he belong to the Nyamwezi ethnic group and he hail from Tabora in Present day Tanzania , his father was Involved in gold , copper, controlled by the Sultan of Zanzibar the main trade route from Uijiji on the lake Tanganyika throughout lake Mweru and Katanga. He had power and Influence to form his own military, alliances, equal with the warlords and According to Garanganze Editor his account about the Garanganze ethnic group he said around the middle of the 19th Century the one the whole world would come to know as Msiri or M’siri the earth as in the ground all the earth of his birth name which is Ngelengwa Mukala, accompanied his father called Kalasa and Kalasa went to Katanga where he would acquire possessions of which was copper there he had weaved bonds of friendship with autochthonous leaders among whom were many of the Garanganze fled and settled in tge Luapula Valley and western shores of lake Mweru, Garanganze Chieftainship survived despite the neglect and opposition from the Belgian authorities the Great Mwami Mwenda Godefroid Munonga VI was Involved in Katanga withdrawal crisis and appointed minister for the break away state. Yeke Kingdom was originally founded by King Msiri and it became a powerful Kingdom in the south central part of Africa, the Kingdom controlled territories and trade route across east and west but the Kalahari desert and Lozi Kingdom In the south and the Congo rain forest, It is believed Msiri appointed hinself as a successor to a wasanga Chief west of the Luapala river by defeating the lunda Chief’s enemies It is said, Yeke controlled the east trade and rich in gold, copper later Leopold ll and his expeditions try to obtained a treaty for it to join the Colonial free state known as Congo free state for the Yeke Kingdom. M’siri was enthroned in Luambo under the names which is Mwenda, Bantu , at the same time as his uncle called Mihambo Fwarume, first who bore the title of Mutaka Fwarume, the second which is Mwami Nku guru for occasion, were also Inducted two Bagabe the Mugabe Kasari wihala and Mubili Ku Bantu or Mugabe wa Nkululi, the first three wives were elevated to the following titles the Busega Namwanda who became the Niihanga also called Mugoli Kaapa, Namizi also called Ihozyo or Mugoli Kanfwa in the local language and finally the 3rd Queen whose maiden name was no longer known, became Shogbeme or Kama. Sumbwa Kufwa during the rising of Yeke Kingdom he quoted” I would rather die than to be enslaved”. It is believed Subwa Kufwa was described as fearless in battle, noble he was loyal and trustworthy his people enstooled him as a beloved monarch after the death of Msiri in 1891, In their Culture the family have to Introduce you to the culture, traditional songs bring joy, freedom, sadness including anger as well . The Origin of Bayeke It is said hunters from the Burombo stabbed a big elephant on the boundaries of Tanganika but the elephant did not die and they followed the animal in vain for days it was a mystery a mark of that blood in its path the grass was astonishing that the wage was able to walk to a village Ngandu Basa and entered the Katanga the word ” Bayeke” meaning the gathering of people who stab on an elephant using only spears .

In Garanganze concept, God have many names which they give attribute to God before the arrival of the Europeans, God is known as Aliho meaning the one who exist, Kazyoba meaning the great Sun, Seba meaning the Great, Lilyo meaning the one who is present, Limlezi meaning the Instructor and Litasumbirwe meaning my God is uncreated and In their tradition the naming can be on the basis of both parents the father and mother clan It is customary to give a child the name of the ancestors It is believed spiritually that when the child is sick he or she can invoked his or her ancestors for healing or even reincarnation which is facing grave problems, names can be based on circumstances and surrounding some names are based on warriors, circumstances and surrounding such as Malabol for boys meaning at Sun rise and same for girls which is Nakalabo and in their culture it is the father or mother who give their children names it is based on discussing and agreement if they are happy or love the name they can choose a name and one ancestral name for their children and for warrior name such as Waliha meaning the majesty and also used for conqueror.

Rulers of the Yeke Kingdom:

1.Mwami Msiri Ngelengwa Shitambi 1850- 1891.

2. Mwami Kalsa Mukanda Bantu 1891-1910.

3. Mwami Kitanika Mabumba Mushaila 1910- 1940.

4. Mwami Munongo Musamfya Ntanga 1940- 1956.

3. Mwami Antoine Munongo Luhinda Shalo 1956- 1976.

4. Mwami Godefroid Munongo Shyombeka we Shalo 1976- 1992.

5. Mwami Christian Munongo Msiri Mwemera 1992- 1997.

6. Mwami Mwenda Bantu Godefroid Munongo Mwenda VIII regined from 1997 and still ruling.

Ham People of Nigeria and some parts of Cameroon

Ham People can be found in Southern part of Kaduna State in the Northwestern region of Nigeria and some parts of Cameroon they are also known as Jaba People, they are related to ethnic groups such as Gwong, Anghan, Adara, Koro, Atyap, Jukun, Berom and Tiv. 

It is believed Ham created the Nok Culture after archaeological discoveries in Ham Village of Nok, they celebrate festivals such as Yam Festival, Tuk-ham festival etc. The Tuk-ham festival is celebrated each year at Kwain in local town of government area of Jaba it is celebrated during Easter seasons. The rulers are known as Kpopham by the Ham People and they speak the hyam language and they are known as Jaba in Nigeria by the Hausa People. According to Fatherland and Gazette account, It is believed geographically the 4th Largest State in Nigeria with 23 local governments and Kaduna is home to over 100 ethnic groups uniquely have their cultures and native dialect, though modernization seen to be a threat to these Indigenous way of life. 

The Ham People are natives of Nok, Kwai, 2 sheik (Kumin Musa) Dung (Juban Kogo), Chari, Fai, and Other Ham settlements in the Southern part of Kaduna state and their land spans across 4 local government areas which include Jaba, Jem’a, Kachia and Kagoro. The Hamland straddles across the 4 local areas such as Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia and Kagoro, It is believed historically, Ham are believed to have migrated from what is now Present day Sudan and Egypt of thousand years to Present day Nigeria and some parts of Present day Cameroon. According to Joshua Project’s account, their main language is Hyam language, the gurara river and several streams thread through the Nigerian Valley where these ham people live. There are more than 100 Villages and 27 districts. The Ham People grow Crops such as rice, guinea corn, millet and cocoyam furthermore, food is very Important to ham life and other Nigerian ethnic groups such as beef, goat, seafood are a primary sources of protein.

Marka People of Mali

Marka People can be found in Mali and they are of both Sonineke and Mande speaking people, they inhabited the northwest of Present day Mali they traced their ancestry far back to the Ancient Ghana Empire in the 9th Century AD, they used masks in ceremonies to ensure a sucessful hunt or bountiful harvest , masks are vary in size they have elongated features, long nose, protruding mouth, eye shadowed by a domed shape forehead,  they are decorated with red fiber tassels on the ears and the head each covered with a brass in genometric patterns.

According to Saikou Tunkara the word” Sarakole” in mandinka and wolof it is also referred as ” Marka” in Bambara, ” Wakkore in Songhai, ” Sebbe” and ” Cheddo” in Fulani,  ”Aswane” in the Arabic language, In their Culture they make pottery,  cloth weaving,  wood carving also In their traditions Antelope is a symbol used for several masks throughout Mali and Burkina Faso but in Mali it is used mostly by the Bambara people and Marka people it is used for sculptures as well the kore mask made up of wood dates back to around the 19th Century- 20 th Century and the wooden cresk mask dates back to the early 19th Century. According to their Oral history a Muslim merchant was believed to be part of the Bamana Empire, Marka controlled the trade between the Sahel regions and the Beber People crossed the Sahara it is said the trading post to Present day Segou and Kaarta which is now Present day Western Mali, Bilton Coulibaly controlled the Segou which was believed it became the capital of the Bamana Empire due to the rule, Bamabara were dissatisfied with his rule and left which led to migration to further west in 1753 the Kingdom was declined as an Independent force in 1854 by El Haji Umar Tall, in their Culture the family have a squared mud huts and travelled using donkeys other transportation such as bicycle. According to B.K. Sillah one of the  first Soninke settlements was established in Ancinet Ghana around 750 AD it is claimed because of the Beber persecution the Soninke dispersed into a smaller groups within the neighbouring regions, the three main offshoots of the Sonnike are the Marka, Nono, Aser these tribes are broken into smaller clans but specialized in various crafts, some of the most important Sonnike tribes are the Sisse, Dramane, Sylla, Kante after they fleed to Present day Sengal and Gambia they intermarried or intermixed with the Wolof, Serer and Malinke people.