Culture they say is the people's way of life. The way they eat, Greet, pray, festival and other exercise they do. One can easily be identified by his or her culture. For me I say culture as the origin of our roots. No matter how you grow or how learned you become your culture is what truly defines you. There are some exhibition of character that people will see in you and they will directly call the culture or the child which you come from without even asking much questions. That's the power of practicing our culture..
There is this Nigeria singer who featured the song where he talk about African culture. "Bright Chimezie" His is a Man that uphold the Africa culture in everything he does in the music industry. In one of a song titled Africa style send a lot of messages to the Africans and to cultures. You mentioned about how the Western life is influencing the Africans and indirectly killing and destroying the Africa culture. At the moment, we have many people with PhD, Masters, in different languages such as Latin, Spanish, Greek etc. But it's so hurtful that we cannot boost of a good number of Africans who have Masters and PhD degree in our Africa language.
For me I don't think I need any other culture apart from that which will practice in Africa as a whole. Before the white men came into our country we were doing fine academically, spiritually, physically and otherwise. The Africans are known by their mood or pattern of greeting which shows respect and loyalty to elders. Right now with no more is bit or practice this culture, nowadays you see a young boy referring to an adult as "Oh boy" "Yee Man" and all that. For us, the Africans, we see this as a disrespectful way of approaching and elderly person.
In the part of Africa that I come from, we are known as The Giant of Africa which is Nigeria. Therefore in Nigeria we have many ethnic groups but three are well-known, which are the Igbo's, the Hausa's and the Yoruba's. You can actually differentiate between these tribes by their will of dressing, greeting and languages. But in all, the culture of Africa bind us to be one. So there is no need for discrimination between people who come from Africa, only if we understand the meaning of culture. All Africans are One.
I am a traditional man, in fact I occupy the space of a traditional King in my previous institution. An in our tradition we believe that once a King is always a King. I have get to understand that we practice more of Culture than tradition which is not the Right thing to do.
Tradition is the practice of a group of people all community. This is what they do and didn't learn it from another people. That is why we have traditional marriage and not cultural marriage. Yeah it is looking confusing right? But don't worry. It is my tradition for a man to pay a woman's bride price, but in another person's way of life a woman can actually pay a man's groom price. That means that that is their own tradition and this is my own tradition. When I leave that which I practice as my tradition and learn from them it because a culture and not my tradition. Therefore tradition is what I believe and practice without learning it from other people, why other persons tradition that I learnt can be my culture.
Our way of life should tell the culture we are portraying. It is very bad that people are no more proud of their culture these days. I will take Igbo as an example we have many of our Brothers who train their children abroad and end of giving their children while stand names without a name that defines their children's origin. Like why are you so ashamed of your tradition. Honestly, if I should leave this country to any other country, I will ensure I promote my Igbo culture and Africa culture at large. Because that's the culture that birthed me.
All the images are mine
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