The Gelede is a ceremony that is performed by Yoruba-Nago groups in Nigeria, Togo, and Benin.
In Yoruba culture, the Gelede spectacle is a public display that combines art, ritual dance, and the ancient art of mask making. Gelede celebrates the mother (awon iya wa), a group that contains female ancestors and divinities, in addition to the elderly women of the community. The celebration emphasizes not only fertility and motherhood but also social correctness and appropriate behavior within Yoruba society.
Every year after harvest, during major events, and during bad weather, the Gelede is a celebration that features carved masks, dances, and chants that retrace the history and myths of the Yoruba-Nago people. Typically, the ceremony is held at night in a public square, and the dancers prepare in a nearby house. The drummers and singers will sing, accompanied by an orchestra, before the masked dancers appear in splendid costumes. There is a considerable amount of preparation work involved, especially in the carving and construction of masks and costumes. The performance combines epic and lyric verses with satiric masks to convey a sense of irony and mockery. The community is divided into male and female groups led by a male and female head. Animal symbols symbolize power, such as the serpent that represents power, or the bird that represents the messengers of the "mothers".
Gelede ceremonies can take place any time of year, but the most elaborate performances are staged during the annual festival. Sponsorship plays an important role in the size and extent of these performances. For instance, the annual Gelede festival is almost always sponsored by the community. Usually, after the precise dates of the festival are fixed, the Iyalase notifies the paramount chief of the community and all the important subordinate chiefs. The Iyalase then sends messages to all Gelede society members outside the town and working far away, urging them to return home for the celebration of the festival.
Gelede is the only known masked society that is governed by women, and although the society has adapted to a more patriarchal society, the oral heritage and dances can be considered relics of the former matriarchal society. As of today, technological developments are slowly eroding traditional know-how, and tourism is threatening the Gelede by turning it into a folklore product. Nevertheless, the Gelede community is aware of the value of their intangible heritage, which is reflected in their commitment to preparing and in the growing number of participants.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/oral-heritage-of-gelede-00002) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%E1%BA%B9l%E1%BA%B9d%E1%BA%B9#The_origins_of_Gelede)