By UZOMA AHAMEFULE

Austria: The streets of Vienna will go agog on 2 August 2025 when Igbos stylishly and pleasantly storm the streets of Vienna in a funfair and in their amazing colourful traditional attire joyously dancing to the sounds of their conventional music with their youths displaying acrobatics. It is a day Africans, Nigerians and Igbos living in Austria should be very proud of.

Many Austrians who know Igbos and are familiar with their cuisine, attire, traditional dance, arts and culture and who are aware of the planned carnival are already curious and cannot wait to see their various masquerades, glance at handsome Igbo men – with hefty chest – dancing “Ohafia war dance” in the manner they traditionally wobble their breasts gorgeously in their muscular body, and at beautiful Igbo women as they wriggle their waists lovely to the tempo of bumming traditional sounds.

Some peculiar things that are very stunning with Igbo traditional dance are the moves of the waist, carriage of the buttocks and the movements of the hands amazingly to the rhythm of the music. It is so appealing and very nice to watch. To some people it could be a medicine that reduces tension and stress, but to all it is very pleasant to the eyes as it massages the heart and keeps the brain active.

While the carnival will be a fascinating way to experience diversity of culture and life for those that do not know Igbos well, it will be another memorable experience to others even to some Igbos that have not gone home for long, because there will be different entertainments with masquerades, acrobats, traditional dances, flute and art, like it would be in Igbo land, and they are not things one sees often.

Ndigbo are a generally open-minded species, generous and accommodating. They are very industrious and exemplary in exploring, and that is the reason they are found wherever life exists in every part of the world. They live predominately in the eastern part of Nigeria, but are found in large numbers in so many different countries around the world especially in Africa. Countries like Ghana, Cameroun and Gabon are examples. In Equatorial Guinea, Igbos are the third largest ethnic group, and Igbo language is one of the official recognized languages.

Distance has never been a barrier for Igbos to respect and practice their cultural heritage wherever they go to. In respecting this ritual they inherited from their ancestors not to discriminate but to develop anywhere they find themselves and make it their home, some indigenes of their host countries sometimes misinterpret their good intensions as being culturally arrogant and imposing. But many who understand that they are no threat admire their sincere hard work and cherish them.

In Igbo land, kola nut is very important and highly respected. It signifies a lot, and goes through processes before breaking. Anyone who makes a mistake during the presentation gets penalized. There is no reasonable gathering without it.

When an Igbo man presents kola nut to a guest it means that that visitor has been welcomed, but when he does not till the person leaves, irrespective how much he has laughed, chatted, eaten and wined with the visitor, that visitor has not been welcomed. It is ancestral heritage. Thus, kola nut will be the first thing that will be officially presented during the carnival by the Chairman of the Igbo Cultural Society (ICS) Chief Anthony Egwuibe to the people. It will be followed by a libation to appease the ancestors, and only a recognized Igbo tittle holder can perform this. The keynote speaker is Mr Muyiwa Onifade, Charge d’affaires of the Nigerian Embassy and Permanent Mission of Nigeria, Vienna, Austria.

Chief Egwuibe, ICS Secretary Prince Ifeanyi Obi-Iwuchukwu, the Social Secretary Mazi Francis Okpata, the entire ICS executives and the planning committee members people will assemble in front of the Nigerian Embassy Vienna (Rennweg 25, 1030 Vienna) at 2pm and then move from there through Schwarzenbergplatz to Resselpark at Karlsplatz (1040) where the final merriment and entertainment will end by 6pm with vote of thanks by the ICS Vice Chairman, Engr. Vincent Nzekwe.

The atmosphere during the carnival will be interacting and delighting for all visitors and people of all ages, from tasty snacks, refreshing drinks to costume and music etc. The carnival is the first of its kind, and from every indication it promises to be captivating, thrilling, entertaining, colourful and family friendly.

•Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen and a refined African traditionalist, writes from Vienna, Austria.