By Zacheaus Somorin in Toronto
The Iyameto Production is holding a cultural funfair in Toronto Canada. The event is tagged: ‘’ Enriching Cultural Heritage through Traditional Games, Arts and Entertainment’. The annual event is expected to bring together Nigerians, friends of Nigeria and diverse Canadian community to network, have fun and see the beauty of Yoruba culture.
Iyameto Productions, an entertainment and broadcast outfit, specialises in event management and consultation. In a press statement made available to journalists, Ms Funmi Olumade stated that ‘’the driving objective is for the purpose of sustaining our cultural heritage especially within the largely culturally diversified Canadian society’’.
According to Ms Olumade, the event is segmented into three phases. The first segment will hold on Saturday, June 22, 2019, from 9am to 3pm at the Rexdale Community Hub, 21 Panorama Crt, Etobicoke, On M9V 4E3. “Got Skill & Talent” (Traditional Board Game Competition) is a day of African Board Games (Ayo olopon, Ludo and …Draughts). To be held in a fun-filled ambience, this first segment will be used to decide the finalists to compete at the Finals of Iyameto Canada Funfair 2019 Mega Show.
The second segment aims at showcasing the abundant talent of Nigerian women in traditional tieing of our headgear, Gele. The contest will be held online from Monday, July 01, 2019 to Friday, August 02, 2019. Winners of the Online Social Media Gele (Headtie) Competition will be determined by votes. The three Finalists emerging, will compete at the Finals of Iyameto Canada Funfair 2019 Mega Show.
The third segment is the Iyameto Cultural Restoration Initiative, which would be rounded up with a Grand Finale on Sunday, September 01, 2019 from 4pm to 1am. ‘’The spectacular event will feature Networking, exotic foods, Final Competition of Traditional Board Games, Final Competition of African Gele Tieing contest, Cultural Dance, Exhibition of Iseyin Aso Oke, Raffle Draw, Recognition and Awards for Excellence, Live Music by a designated Performing Artiste of the day and Rising Star Artistes’’, she added.
Among the dignitaries attending the event from Nigeria are HRM Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, The Olowu of Kuta, His Royal Majesty Oba Abdulwahab Kayode Oyedotun, Bibire 1, Orangun of Ile Ila, Osun State (The Royal Host), His Royal Majesty Oba Abdul Ganiyu Adekunle Salawu, Oloogunebi 1, Aseyin of Iseyin, Oyo State (Royal Guest of the Day),
HRM Oba Adekunle Asamu Oyeyemi Tewogbade1 Oloba of Oba Ile Oloba, Osun State,
Others are Ambassador Adeyinka Olatokunbo Asekun, Nigeria Ambassador to Canada, Chief Mrs Nike Davies-Okundaye, Chairperson, Nike Arts Gallery, Lagos (Mother of the Day), Ambassador Wale Ojo Lanre, Director-General, Ekiti State Council of Arts and Culture, Ekiti State (Special Guest of Honour) and Mrs Jean Augustine, The First Black Woman in the Canadian Parliament (Guest of Honour).
