Afro-Brazilian carnival celebrates cultural kinship in Lagos

Lagos: Thousands of young and old descendants of formerly enslaved people donned elaborate costumes on Sunday to bring the rhythm, vibrancy and colour...

Lagos: Thousands of young and old descendants of formerly enslaved people donned elaborate costumes on Sunday to bring the rhythm, vibrancy and colours of Brazil's Rio Carnival to the streets of Lagos in Nigeria.

The festival, albeit on a smaller scale than that of its Brazilian model, helps to keep their heritage alive and celebrate the city's Afro-Brazilian history.

After Brazil abolished slavery, some of those who had been enslaved returned to west Africa, settling in several countries including Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

They brought with them Latin American culture -- dance, food, religion and colours -- that lives on today in pockets of the megacity of Lagos.

At Sunday's Fanti Carnival, a stilt-walking woman in a green-and-yellow dress with a yellow fascinator on her head danced rhythmically to sounds of loud drums and trumpets, sometimes stealing a hug from a man also performing on stilts.