This year’s IFA Grenada Festival will take place from July 5 to 12, 2024. Here are excerpts from a description of last year’s festival by Curlan Campbell, “New Egungun initiated at Grenada Ifa Festival” (published in Now Grenada), followed by contact information regarding the festival.

[. . .] The festival held at Clarence Ville Villa, Corinth, St David, is an annual celebration organised by the Shrine of the Seven Wonders of Africa led by Universal Empress Iya “Yvonne Drake” Ifatooki, and officiating over the ceremony was Araba of Odi Olowo Kingdom Mushin Lagos State Lagos Nigeria, Araba Ifakolade Atinumo. 

“I hope to attend every Ifa festival in Grenada going forward. I will assist in growing this African tradition wherever it connects with people,” he said. “I recently found out I have Yoruba ancestry through my mother, who is Grenadian, so it is no surprise I was called back to my roots. Ifa is not a religion, more a way of life, more connected with nature and our ancestors, a better understanding of who you are. I hope to see many more Grenadians returning to their roots and finding clarity to some of the questions of life”.

On the continent of West Africa, in places like the town of Iwo in southwest Nigeria, portrayals of the Egungun can be seen in a state of spiritual ecstasy through the streets, and he is known to badger onlookers for small change while threatening people with his cane. In Grenada, the portrayal of Egungun was slightly different, as he was willingly gifted money as a form of gratitude for the blessing he bestowed upon those who chose to receive his blessings.

Another spectacular masquerade seen at this year’s festival was the appearance of the Kakilambé, which also originates in West African culture, particularly among the Baga people near the coastal area of Boke-region in Guinee. The Kakilambé is a masked dance that only appears once a year, and it is revered as a protector against evil entities and can predict events about the present and the future. The Ifa and ancestral festival, which opened on 7 July in Grenada, is also celebrated elsewhere in places like Nigeria in late August, towards the end of the rainy season. [. . .]

For full article, see https://nowgrenada.com/2023/08/new-egungun-initiated-at-grenada-ifa-festival/

For upcoming information, check in at https://www.facebook.com/ShrineoftheSevenWondersofAfrica, or contact: ifafestivalgnd@gmail.com or 1 (473)-456-3839.

[Photo above by Curlan Campbell: “Ifa initiates accompany Egungun and Kakilambé, Corinth, St David.” From https://nowgrenada.com/2023/08/new-egungun-initiated-at-grenada-ifa-festival/]