Eurocentric(ism) and Folk(ism) in Edegborode Festival Performance

This article explores the Edegborode Annual Festival Performance of Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria, as one of the dramatic performances in Africa, with the possibility of defining the festival as a contemporary folk drama using Sam Ukala’s Folkism eight (8) Laws of Aesthetic Response. Adopting traditional African performances into modern African folk drama is a challenge. I adopt the qualitative methods of research in collecting and analysing data on the festival. My aim is to examine and measure the number of Eurocentric dramatic elements like plot, character(isation), music, song, performance arena (stage), and the audience in the Edegborode Annual Festival Performance, and how these aesthetics fit into modern African folk drama using Folkism. The study shows that the Edegborode festival performance provides entertainment to its audience. Also, its ability to attract local tourists within Delta State adds economic value to community development. Most importantly, when subjected to the aesthetics of Folkism, the Edegborode annual festival is viable source material for modern folk drama.