Carnival Calabar gets new cultural band

Carnival Calabar is set to welcome a new cultural ensemble, the Ekuum Cultural Band of Ofutop Nation, which will make its debut appearance at the 2026 edition of the annual street fiesta.

The newly registered band will participate in the carnival as a non-competing guest band, bringing the traditional music, cultural performances and heritage of the Ofutop people to thousands of revellers and visitors expected at the event.

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Ekuum Cultural Band, Engr. Oyama Osam Ntun, disclosed this in Calabar while speaking with our correspondent on the band’s participation in the 2026 carnival.

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Ntun said the band’s entry into the carnival was aimed at creating a wider platform for the promotion of Ofutop culture while giving its members an opportunity to showcase their talents before a diverse audience.

He said the band had completed the necessary registration requirements and secured approval from the relevant authorities to participate in the carnival.

According to him, the carnival would provide the Ekuum Cultural Band with an opportunity to showcase traditional music, stories and cultural expressions passed down through generations.

He said, “Our participation is not just about entertainment. It is also about telling the story of our people and preserving the cultural heritage handed down to us by our grandparents.”

Ntun, who was recently honoured with the Calabar Heritage “Young Achiever of the Year” Award, said his involvement in cultural promotion was driven by the desire to take indigenous heritage beyond its traditional boundaries.

He said the band’s participation would provide an avenue to expose Ofutop’s rich cultural identity to a broader audience, including international visitors attending the carnival.

The Ekuum boss stressed that the initiative was also designed to encourage younger people to appreciate and preserve their cultural heritage in the face of changing social trends.

He noted that the band would combine professionalism with traditional cultural expressions to ensure that its appearance at the carnival was both entertaining and representative of the identity of the Ofutop people.

“True career excellence goes hand in hand with cultural preservation,” Ntun said, adding that the band’s participation would give local art forms greater visibility and recognition.

He expressed optimism that the Ekuum Cultural Band’s debut would add another dimension to the cultural diversity of Carnival Calabar 2026, while providing the Ofutop Nation with a platform to tell its story through music, rhythm and traditional performances.