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What does “Owambe” Mean?
“Owambe” is a Yoruba word which when translated to English means “It is there.” Whenever you hear Nigerians talk about “Owambe,” it’s about party-ing, loud music, food (Jollof rice and Amala/Akpu especially) and most of all, wearing uniform clothings – either ankara, lace aka Asoebi.
Owambe is a party where you definitely must see someone who is related to your family — there, you see your uncle, aunties and others that you haven’t seen in a long time and sometimes, you haven’t seen them in your entire life.
Owambe parties always fall on weekends (Saturdays especially). Nowadays, no weekend in Nigeria is complete without an Owambe party. This is a lavish and flamboyant party where most people showoff their wealth.
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Another interesting thing about Owambe is the abundance of drinks & alcohol. This go a long way in helping people lose their home training and produce a jovial and exciting atmosphere at Owanbe parties. Those who are bad at dancing automatically have lit and weird dancing steps on the dance floor.
For some people, Owambe parties is a place for them to just chill, socialise and meet new people. Funny enough, a man might see his love at a friends wedding and at his own wedding too, others will still find their own lover too. It just keep going on and on and on.
The weird individuals you’ll see at an Owambe party are people called “Mo-gbo Mo-ya.” When translated to English, it means “I heard, I came.” They are people who attend parties they are not invited to.
This individuals have mastered a way of blending into Owambe parties, their outfits does not match the themed dressing and also in another way they still match.
Some of them come in groups whereby all of them are wearing the same outfit, making them look like special individuals related to the celebrant.
What makes an Owambe party colourful?
After the food aspect, what makes an Owambe party more colorful is the “Asoebi” outfits. Asoebi is a uniform dress which usually indicates co-operation. Seeing people in the same outfits but in different styles is so pleasing.
Once you’re are among the “Asoebi” geng, you’re treated specially (well, sometimes). If you’ve been sitting and food is yet to reach your table, you can just tell the servers “how far, look at me nau, I bought Asoebi, why is food not yet on my table?”
What are the best Asoebi styles for an Owambe party?
So you want to make sure your “Owambe is Online” but you don’t know what outfit to wear? Styling for an Owambe party is about wearing outfits that suit you, your taste, style and lifestyle. But if you are looking for Owambe styling inspos, you can check here or you can check our weddings page on Instagram @glamcityzweddings.
The vibe at an Owambe party can hardly be ignored. Thinking about the color, glamour, beauty, style, merriment and enjoyment that are experienced at most parties, we can’t help but keep looking forward to weekends. Owambe is one of the few areas people from different backgrounds come together to decide on what they want to achieve. No matter the tribe and ethnic group, it unify individuals to wear the same outfits and even share from the same pot.
It’s signifies that Nigerians can come together in co-operation to celebrate success, joy and happiness.
