By Chris Onuoha
The 2018 edition of Nigeria highly esteemed cultural beauty contest, “Queen Moremi Ajasoro” (QMA) Cultural Pageant” is around the corner.
With the sales of form and registration of participants already concluded, the famous cultural and heritage reawakening pageant in its 3rd edition, sponsored by the House of Oduduwa Foundation, the Ooni of Ife’s palace and others, is set to further push and forestall the cultural heritage of the Yourba race in accordance with Ooni’s mandate in developing the ancestral heritage of the Amazon, Queen Moremi Ajasoro.
About 400 registrants have indicated interest as the registration ends today October 20 while the audition and selection of qualified contestants to be handled by cultural experts will be held on October 29 and 30 in Ile Ife, Osun State. This will precede the ‘Edi Festival’ on October 31 heralding the colourful lighting of the torch at the statue of Queen Moremi Ajasoro, led by his imperial majesty, Ooni of Ife,
However, this year’s edition will be held in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital specifically in recognition of Her Excellency, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, wife of Ogun State governor who was recently honoured with a Moremi history book dedicated in her name by his Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi for her immeasurable contributions to the development of culture in Yoruba land.
There will also be a musical drama of the heroine, Queen Moremi, titled, “…the untold story of one of Afrca’s legendary queens” under the auspice of the House of Oduduwa foundation, produced and directed by Bolanle Austen Peters Production and showing at TerraKulture Lagos.
Queen Moremi Ajasoro Cultural Pageant is one, amongst the few beauty pageants in Nigeria and Africa that is structured with glorified contents to promote the cultural heritage of Africa’s giant.
The QMA pageant is known for its exclusive display of cultural feats, traditional fashions/styles and also a composition of intellectual contestants, who are integrated into becoming ambassadors of our cultural identity. According to observers, the previous edition was indeed a record in the history book of pageantry in Nigeria
With the streamline of activities, large number of participants exclusively from Yoruba extract or others with either parents bearing Yoruba lineage in the country will be auditioned by seasoned cultural experts to select the finalists that will be in the finals.
The names include Toyin Alauss(Actress); Oba Oladapo Olafiranye; Morounranti Ashabi; Benny Charles Ukeje; Oba Abiodun Mulatto; To in Okewale Sonaiya; Oba Michael Odunaya Ajayi and Oluwatoyin Bayegu, alias Sole Aroli.
The registration period according to the organisers, will close on the 20th of October. Therefore, interested contestants are advised to pick up their forms, because there might be no extension, she stressed.
She stated that auditions will hold on the 29th and 30th of October, were the 30 finalists will emerge. However, the finalist will accompany the historic traditional ruler of Ife in “Tourch Lighting” Event, a traditional requirement of the annual Moremi Festival.
The finalist will eventually leave for camping on the 3rd through 15th of November, as they prepare for the grande finale, which is slated to hold on the first of December 2018.