The Kwaghir Hir festival is a culturally edifying art form of the Tiv people of central Nigeria, which became popular in the 1960s. Puppetry, masking, poetry, music, dance, animated narratives and puppetry are all incorporated into this dramatic public performance to tell moral stories of past and present events. Among the Tiv people, it is used to reinforce traditional beliefs and relay other-worldly tales to educate, socialize, provide secular entertainment, and address societal concerns.
Among the most familiar kwagh-hir variants, Jonathan Fogel highlights the Punch and Judy show, in which recognizable characters poke fun at current events and political figures while referencing cultural customs as well.
It is said that Adikpo Songo developed Kwagh-hir from Akpagher; Mbatyav in the present-day Gboko local government area in Benue State, Nigeria. According to Adikpo Songu, in an interview with Kwagh-hir scholar Iyorwuese Hagher, several Kwagh-hir leaders and notable elders in Tivland hold this view.
Unlike the Tiv kwagh-alom story-telling tradition, the two groups seemed to be engaging in a competition. In this case, instead of a storyteller, a man would come to the center of the arena and announce what was about to take place at the top of his voice. After that, the performers would file into the area either as animals dancing or as adzov, acting out their characters through dancing.
However, according to Doki and other kwagh-hir scholars, kwagh-hir cannot be traced back to a single individual like any other theatrical performance. This is rather a creation of the mass populace, coming together to share experiences. The innovative technique of kwagh-hir dates back to the 1960s, combining visual, musical, creative, kinetic arts to expand the words of a story-teller into a whole theatre. The Kwaghir Hir performance is still staged till today to keep the next generation in tune with what the art is all about.
Kwagh-hir has survived to the present day despite attempts by opposing groups to use it to aggravate social rifts. This is due to its adaptability and a passion for art and drama among its people. The Kwagh- hir theatre continues to act as a source of social commentary on the Tiv culture, representing a huge potential for tourism as its figures could attract foreign revenue from art exhibitions and festivals.
With Kwagh-hir culture occupying such a high position on the tourism chart, it could be turned into a national festival, attracting international as well as domestic tourists. The outcome could help generate publicity and boostthe country's tourism industry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwagh-Hir https://www.nigeriagalleria.com/Nigeria/States_Nigeria/Benue/Kwagh-Hir-Festival-Benue.html