Your Language - Your Culture And Your Tradition.

Your Language - Your Culture And Your Tradition.

 

To confuse a man, take away his identity. A man’s identity is his language, his culture, and tradition. In this day and age, many people are getting carried away embracing a new found culture – mostly the Western culture. The influence of the western culture on the continent of Africa cannot be overemphasized.

The western culture in no doubt has its advantages but not without coming with the baggage of unfit and series of negative influence.

Culture is important – most people are of the thought that having a culture or having a tie to one’s heritage is so archaic and not modern but in all honesty, no matter how much you try to distance yourself from your culture – you are still who you are and the only place you can be comfortable is when you are who you are and not what the society expects of you. A man from Yiwu in China moved to Los Angeles and for him to fit into the culture of L.A, he is no longer bearing Mr.Wu Zhong but now Bob Lee and named all his children Mercy, Linda, Michael, and Richard. Good for him except that the first thing everyone sees is a “Chinese Kid” walking down the road before listening to him or her and in most cases, they will still wonder if the kids speak in English – such man has made a grave mistake and in most cases, they are so irredeemable!

An average African is ashamed of his accent and forgetting that American accent or English accent is just like any other accent – we all can’t speak alike. Various people that have never left the shore of the Country suddenly starts speaking “phonetics” with borrowed accents – no thanks to MTV and other foreign TV channels.

Young ladies from Agbor, Okigwe, Mbaise, Aba that arrived in Lagos under a year ago are now speaking like someone from Essex or South London despite not knowing where Muritala Muhammed Airport is situated. Young men from Ihiala, Oke Ogun, Ipara, Ara orin, Ilesha are not dressing disrespectfully with sagging pants and smoking whatever that is smoke-able non-stop with a new found accent all over Lagos – If you are visiting from the States, you may be slightly convinced that you are clubbing somewhere in Bronx –New York.

The moment you bury your accent to wear a borrowed one – you have lost your identity, you are not only confused but you are confusing your listeners too.

In an African home, being a Christian (An European culture) or being a Muslim (Arabian Culture) is more acceptable and ideal over someone that worship local gods (African culture) – The influence of the west is playing a major factor here  as anything foreign is the “best” and more “authentic” – In most cases that’s never true. Packaging comes to mind here.

Harvest rice in Kabba in Kogi state, send 50% of this Rice to Amsterdam for “refinement” and “Packaging” then brand it made in Holland and re-import it back into Nigeria for sale – well, the other 50% has been in the market all these while and the marketers are still struggling with their sales but the imported ones are now being rushed and eventually they are not enough because there are more customers than the available stock – Power of branding in play here and the mindset of my people.

It is very much okay and acceptable to wear a tie and suit to work here in Africa despite how hot it can be in this part of the world but it’s not acceptable to wear a kaftan to work, oh yes it doesn’t fit into the “work culture” – Dressing is an important pillar of cultural heritage. Most of our generation wear more of foreign clothes than our traditional clothes, myself included – which is rather unfortunate.

Getting married these days is not complete without a “white wedding” – whatever that means! Our forefathers used palm wine, kola-nut, and other traditional items for prayers – no we now use champagne instead!

It is understandable and expected that the man from the east or the man from the south will act and react to any situation differently – culture is playing a role here. There is nothing wrong in giving a hug or extending a handshake to your colleague’s wife from the South but you dare not try that with your other colleague from the North – That’s culture in play, nothing personal here.

There is nothing shameful in having an accent – in fact, the thicker the better. That is who you are; any attempt to bury that is burying your identity and tradition.

Personal Names – To be named Aruegodore, Efetobo, Oghechuko. Your parents know what they were doing when they gave you those names, there is absolutely nothing wrong with those beautiful names but there is a lot wrong when you now want to be known as Jane, Michael or Kaycee – now why on earth would you want to be just another “Jane” over being someone unique and an Individual? Your name is your identity – embrace it!

Studying Arabic language and burying your own local dialect – all in the name of a religion? I really don’t understand because at the end you and your children will need a translator to speak to your people and you are just an “Arab wannabe” to those you are trying to impress – an unfortunate situation to be if you ask me.

Foods – It’s shameful that we are losing the touch with traditional foods and now the older generation that knows about all these recipes are on the way out. Most eateries now don’t have Tuwo shinkafa, shinkafa da wanke, Akamu, Eko ati Akara, Frejon, Ofe Owerri, Ofe Onugbu, Banga, Edikang Ikong or Adalu on the Menu. Our Children are being fed with ice cream, shawarma, chicken and chips amongst others.

We celebrate “Halloween” but we lock our doors during Ogun Festival, Ooya or Oloojo Festival – now that’s all about packaging. If Oloojo Festival is being celebrated in London, we will go along and celebrate it!

Have you noticed the Indians – no matter how far away from home they are, no matter how much educated they are or how wealthy, they go with their culture and tradition. They still have a unique tradition today because they refused to have their culture diluted and adulterated by foreign influence. The Pakistanis are not any different, they refused to bow down to western influence on their way of life and it has paid off.

One of the major implications of this menace is dry tourism – tell me, why should a foreigner visit your home Country if your buildings are a replica of his home? Your accent is not original and all your traditional deities and gods have been replaced by Churches and Mosques? You wear suits and Jeans rather than your unique, beautiful and colourful attires?

An average African will see a Northerner parading a very rare wild animal for a show as a mad person and walk past him but will travel to the London zoo to take pictures of the same animal? They will ignore local carnivals and tradition promotions for the “Notting Hill Carnival” – They are not bold enough to visit an Ifa Priest or a participate in the famous Ekimogun Day in Ondo Town but they are okay to visit Museums around the world that house these gods for a fee?

Don’t bury your history while studying others’ history! This way we are telling others to write our own history for our grandchildren! Of course, they will cherry-pick!

Erecting statues all over the place of foreigners makes no sense when we have local heroes to immortalize.

 

Your Food – Your Clothes – Your Accent – Your Skin Are Your Heritage! Cherish it and protect it – No matter how much you copy others, you can never be them and in the process, you will lose who you were before the COPY MODE!