Chief Bassey Nsa—Economics & Patronage

Follow the Money: Patronage and Economics in Calabar, Nigeria

Masquerade is not only a multi-layered form of expression in the city of Calabar it is a lucrative business. Section Three delves into the economic side of masquerade from the perspective of chief Bassey Nsa working in the urban local of Calabar. In the contemporary city, the business of cultural clubs and renting masquerades and their related paraphernalia are two examples of how money saturates masking. As a result of urbanization and demands for cultural revival stemming from FESTAC ’77, itinerant clubs consisting of master drummers, singers, performers, and artists of masquerade ensembles were formed and founded in Calabar in the 1980s (Fenton 2016). These clubs changed the entire patronage dynamic for all masquerade performances: they started to charge hard currency for their services. Prior to these clubs, drummers and masqueraders performed only for drink, a modest “dash,” or for a chance to gain experience and possibly rise in the ranks of a given institution’s hierarchy. Today, all drummers, singers, masqueraders and ritual specialists performing and serving in any capacity receive payment for their work and participation