I spent my early years with my Grandmother in the ancient and great city of Benin, Edo state in Southern Nigeria. I continue to cherish & treasure the experiences from this time in my heart especially as they have contributed to who I am today.
My lye (as I called my Grandmother) not only lavished me with the kind of love that only a Grandparent can give but since I was her favorite grandchild (sorry siblings + cousins), I enjoyed tons of extra special perks. We were inseparable. The only time I was away from her was when I was at school – Brother Pius Kindergarten School, Akenzua. I remember the Catholic Nuns who ran the school but that is a story for another day
I remember our many visits to various places and how she shared stories about them-The Oba Palace (King’s palace), The Benin moat monument and Urhokpota Hall just to mention a few. An important weekly highlight for us was attending church twice. I do not now recall what day we went during the work week, but our second day was on Sundays. My lye was a devout Christian and worshipped at the Central Baptist Church. It was during this time that she taught me how to read Bini (Edo language) using her Bible.
Because I went everywhere with My lye, I attended events such as wedding ceremonies and new birth celebrations thus having a firsthand experience of these significant life events. Christmas celebration was very festive as the culture was specially showcased with the annual Igue and Ewere festivals that came with lots of costumes, ewere leaves, music, dancing and of course feasting. This early embrace of my roots lead me to develop an appreciation for my people, our culture and heritage.
Having now been in diaspora for almost two decades, I clearly see the need for this culture to be preserved and passed on to our children,
Ugie by Adesuwa was birthed out of my desire to share my roots not just with Edo people in diaspora but with the world.
I invite you to come along as we journey into the world of Edo weddings. Together, we will discover, learn, share, and of course celebrate.
Love,
Noggy Adesuwa Aigbogun
New York, New York
Dedicated to the blessed memory of my beloved Grandmother, Madam Christiana Igbinaghodua Akedayi. Continue to rest in peace My Sweet Sweet Iye.