Olomuo: Reggae Dance Has Roots in Omuo Festivals
Monarch showcases Epa Festival as Ekiti’s global tourism asset, urges preservation of Yoruba cultural heritage By Idowu Adebomi OMUO-EKITI — The Olomuo of Omuo-Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Noah Adejuwon Omonigbehin, Okinbaloye II, has highlighted the cultural significance of the ancient kingdom’s Epa Festival, suggesting that some dance movements associated with reggae music and Jamaican performers have roots in the traditional dances of Omuo. The monarch made the observation during the 2026 Epa Festival, celebrated with colourful masquerade displays, traditional rites, indigenous music and spectacular cultural performances at Ilisa Quarters, Omuo-Ekiti, in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State. Oba Omonigbehin, whose position as the traditional ruler places him at the heart of the kingdom’s cultural heritage, explained that the distinctive dance steps, rhythmic patterns and coordinated movements displayed by the masquerades reflected the uniqueness of Omuo’s ancestral...
