Culture Ambassador
The artist, Lady Aghabiomon Nogie Ogbeiwi is the Founder/President of Uyi-Edo Cultural Troupe and Executive Director of Academy for Edo Arts and Culture, New York. She is a woman of unquestionable traditional qualities and highly respected for her community-based interests.
Lady Aghabiomon Nogie Ogbeiwi is known as:
- The Adroit Voice of the Edo people in the diasporic wilderness- reminding her people to keep Edo identity alive under any circumstances, like the Europeans, other ethnic-Americans and ethnic-Africans in the Americas.
- The Oracle of the Tribe- having deep insights to things past, present and the future; proactive, investigative historian.
- The Icon of Traditional Edo story telling- keeping history alive through her music, songs, and dancing.
- The Griot of the Community- as any community she finds herself, she performs advisory roles with motherly poise.
- The Reservoir, Repertoire and Repository of Edo Stories, authentic and well-researched Edo history and Edo experiences.
- The Assertive, savvy and creditable Edo historian of her time believing strongly in Edo Heritage
- The only woman Traditional Town Crier in Edo land of the 20th and 21st centuries
- The Okporu oghe-owie of Bendel Television station of the 1980's.
- The Ambassador extraordinaire of Edo people in the diaspora
- The Traditional Edo lyricist-synchronizing Edo history with Edo music/dance in fits of African centered performing arts, admired by all ethnic peoples of the world.
Lady Aghabiomon founded Uyi Edo Cultural Group in 1986 and the group is made up of talented professional and seasoned artistes, dancers, composers, singers, story tellers, musicians, actors and actresses. Uyi-Edo is a cultural troupe whose main business is to entertain, promote and preserve Edo and African Culture through its performances, seminars, lectures as well as teachings.
The group provides cultural entertainment for all occasions: cultural festivals, luncheons, annual meetings, conventions, wedding receptions, High school and College performances, State and individual banquets and so on. They also records musical performances and perform for video and film productions.
Awards and Recognitions
Distinguished Award - Edo Leadership Assembly, USA, (2010)
- Merit Award- Edo Association, Austin, Texas (1998)
- Uyi Edo Cultural Group came first in the 1997 Centifair, a cultural competition organized by the National Museum and Monuments in collaboration with Edo State Broadcasting Services in Benin.
- The group came first in a Home Video Musical competition organized by the National Council for the Arts and Council in Abuja, Nigeria, tagged NAMAC 1997.
- They also came first in in a competition jointly organized by the Nigeria Tourism Board and Edo State Council for Arts and Culture in 1992.
- Uyi Edo cultural Troupe represented Nigeria in a Pan African Music Festival held in Congo Brazzaville in 1996.
- Known for initiating and organizing the one and only annual Cultural Carnival in Edo State, which started in 1992. The Carnival attracted performing groups from all over Nigeria, making it a national cultural event. The carnival also earned the group a prestigious position before the Oba (King) of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo ne Oba ne Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, CFR. His Royal Majesty graciously incorporated the Carnival into his annual Ugie Festivities. This was maintained religiously until the group relocated to the United States.
