EXPLORING THE AESTHETICS OF AWON MASS WEDDING FESTIVAL AS POPULAR CULTURE

Abstract

Popular culture or popular literature is often being referred to as trivial literature or para literature as it possesses virtually similar characteristics of writing. Among its other genres, abound in popular culture are the festival aesthetics which constitutes its dramatic genre. “Awon” Mass wedding festival is one of such festivals celebrated annually in Shao, Moro Local Government, Kwara State. The festival has its many features which are rich in oral tradition and tourist events deployable for modern cultural entertainment. This paper considers the aesthetics of Awon Festival as an exemplary popular culture with a view to explore the richness and impact of the mass wedding festival on the cultural landscape of Nigeria and global setting. The objectives of this essay are: to project the aesthetics as popular culture; to explore the role and tourist potentials of the festival towards the development of Kwara State; to promote the festival for global audience. The researcher participated in the annual two editions (2017 and 2019) of the festival to enable him obtain firsthand information for the analysis. Interviews and recordings were also carried out. The findings of the paper are that Awon festival is both entertaining and didactic as a popular culture in terms of events, oral texture and significance. It is capable of boosting the economy/IGR of the host state and the nation at large. The festival is recommended for global tourism and that the Kwara State Government and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture should adopt the festival for invigoration interms of packaging for international audience.