CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Carnivals and festivals are increasingly becoming arenas of discourse enabling people to express their views on wider cultural, social and political issues. Often the debates polarize into those advocating change and those wishing to preserve “traditional” or “local” culture in the face of modernization and globalization.

This article analyses the discourse on cultural festivals from the perspective of stakeholders involved in traditional and popular culture events. There is generally a high level of agreement about the aims of Carnival and the make-up appropriate for them. In particular, the importance of traditional Carnivals and make-up.

However, stakeholders tend to differ more in the meanings attached to concepts such as identity, with policy makers exhibiting a greater emphasis on economic and political issues, whereas cultural producers are more concerned with social aspects of identity. However, the general consensus on the social role of Carnival are relative per stakeholder.

1.1 Background Study

With its religious off spring, many Christians, religious societies, traditionally use carnivals as a symbol of relaxation after lent period. The exact origins of carnival are a debatable affair. This is because as years evolved many societies adopted the culture from the Roman Empire to Greece, then Egypt as it cuts throughout Europe and the Americas which now extends to Africa as it revives the practices as denoted by Carnivaland.net. Today carnival is principally celebrated across many nations through festivals. It has been speculated that carnival originated some 5000 years ago with the Egyptians, other school of thoughts speculate it was the Greeks. In ancient Egypt and Greece there were festivities that occurred around the cycles of nature and the universe.

On the African tradition, people parading around the village, wearing masks and brilliantly coloured costumes, drumming, singing and dancing to bring luck to the village, are some of the attributes that characterized the African carnival orientation. Other traditions include stilt-walking, carrying puppets and fighting mock battles with sticks. But most importantly it was the Africans who brought musical instruments, dance rhythms and singing styles. The first modern Carnival parade took place in Cologne in 1823 and other cities began to develop their own traditions, gradually there was a shift from their religious background on what carnival should look like.

As a matter of fact, many African countries, Cameroon in particular where this project centers around have seen reasons to take carnivals from villages and bringing them to urban areas. This is used as a massive tool for cultural identity and unification. As many individuals from different backgrounds come into for a common goal; to sell their cultural heritage. It has been observed that Carnivals in the nation are used as a medium to create public awareness of an ongoing activity. It can be Festivals, cultural events, shows and many more others.

In many instances, it has been noted that every Carnival with excellent costuming will make little or no sense if make-up is poorly done or totally absent. This especially applies to arts, cultural and traditional festivals. In addition, though some mega event planners or festival organizers minimize or pay less attention the role of make-up or make-up artist during such feast, through this write-up, this project intends to go a long way proving the valuable presence of a make-up and make-up artist in a traditional Carnival while the subsequent lines will define some basic terms relating to this project:

1.2. Problem Statement

Africa and Africans are gradually but surely going through the second of colonialization in the sense that, we are losing our cultural heritage to Western ideas and philosophies. Therefore this project wants to understand why African makeup is lacking behind in terms of advancement, acceptance and usage by the African people.

1.3. Research Questions

From the above problem of statement above, the following questions will guide the analysis for this work;

1. What is makeup?
2. Why and how should makeup be used in traditional African carnivals?
3. What are some of the challenges makeup artist face in this profession and how do they handle these challenges?
4. Was make-up effectively used during the Limbe FESTAC?

1.4.Hypothesis

Even though the origin of make-up and carnivals are said to have had western descendants and have been accorded pagan believes, it is nonetheless very important to know that Africa and precisely Cameroon is profiting from its advantages. Using it to fortify is cultural believes and national unity as well. Also, though the presence of very prominent carnival elements such as music and flamboyant costumes, the presence of make-up complements and reconciles all for a successful Carnival showcase. Considering the fact that make-up play a central role in carnivals and reveal the beauty and aesthetics of the performance and the carnival in general.

1.5. Definition of Key Terms

Festival

Cambridge dictionary defines festival as an organized set of special events, such as musical performances or plays, usually happening in one place, or a special day or period, usually in memory of a religious event, with its own social activities, food, or ceremonies. Also, Wikipedia describes festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday.

Carnival

It is (a special occasion or period of) public enjoyment and entertainment involving wearing unusual clothes, dancing, and eating and drinking, usually held in the streets of a city. Carnival is a public event, often held outside, where you can take part in competitions and buy artistic products, often organized to collect money for a particular purpose as denoted by Cambridge Dictionary.

Culture

As expatiated by Merriam-Webster online Dictionary, the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group

Also, the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time. Also it is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.

Cultural Festival

Cultural festival is a celebration of the traditions of a particular people or place. Such celebrations are opportunities for arts promoters to showcase their artistic content.

Tradition

Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary defines tradition as, belief, principle, or way of acting that people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time, in a particular society or group. It is a way of behaving or a belief to set down principles or laws which have been established.

Arts

Arts by its definition in the Cambridge Dictionary the making, showing, or performance of painting, acting, dancing, music. Englishdictionary.com defines Arts to be (uncountable) Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colours, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.

Make-up Artist

Make-up as cosmetic applied to the face to improve or change your appearance. It also defines it as the way in which someone or something is composed. Cambridge Dictionary defines make-up as coloured substance used on your face to improve or change your appearance. Collinsdictionary.com goes further to explain, it consists of things such as; lipsticks, eye shadow used on actors to change or improve appearance

1.5. Scope of the Work

This work will center on the different artistic content, especially makeup during the Limbe Festival of Arts and Culture by trying to know the importance makeup played during the carnival to beautify the event.