Lecture given by Dr. Kofi Agyekum, head of the Linguistics Department at the University of Ghana, Legon.
This is an audio recording of a lecture by Dr. Kofi Agyekum, University of Ghana. Dr. Agyekum is an expert in the Akan language. Some of the interesting portions of this lecture include a description of the afterlife within Ghana: Ghanaians from all ethnicities view the afterlife as a reflection of this world. This kind of afterlife is held by most West Africans as well as continental Africans.
Such trans-continental beliefs suggest to me the possibility that there was much inter-ethnic dialogue throughout the continent of Africa long before recent times, and most likely long before colonial trading influences as Susan McIntosh also asserts in her essay on the Prehistory of West Africa, contained within the excellent book Themes in West African History. She states that such a suggestion is in contrast to many of the historical narratives which claim that there was no trading or movement of people from West Africa to Central and Eastern Africa until the Arab trades came in the begining of the Second Millenium C.E.
In this audio recording Dr. Agyekum discusses:
1) The Dipo Festival celebrated by the Kropo people and is a puberty rite for females
2) The Aboakyere Festival celebrated by the Effutus of Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana, it is a Deer Hunting Adventure which determines whether there the upcoming year will be good for crops or good for fishing
3) The Bakatue Festival which is celebrated as the end to the traditional ban on fishing and the begining of the bumper harvest
4) Fetu Afahya a Cape Coast Festival
5) Adade Kese a festival held in the Ashante Kingdom and marks milestones in the history of the Ashante Kingdom
6) The Homowo Festival celebrated in greater Accra and is festival giving thanks for food and makes fun of hunger so that hunger does not come to their people again
7) Hogbetsutso which is celebrated by the Anlo-Ewu people of the Volta Region, it is a time for celebrating the history of exodus from a Tyrannical King Agokolio of Notsie, Togo and is a time for settling disputes between community members
8) Kobine Festival which is celebrated by the Dagaaba people and thanks gods for harvest.
Dr. Agyekum also discusses how festivals are being changed due to modernization. Funerals are also a major topic of discussion. He ends by outlining some of the major roles of festivals and funerals in Ghanaian life.
This is an audio recording of a lecture by Dr. Kofi Agyekum, University of Ghana. Dr. Agyekum is an expert in the Akan language. Some of the interesting portions of this lecture include a description of the afterlife within Ghana: Ghanaians from all ethnicities view the afterlife as a reflection of this world. This kind of afterlife is held by most West Africans as well as continental Africans.
Such trans-continental beliefs suggest to me the possibility that there was much inter-ethnic dialogue throughout the continent of Africa long before recent times, and most likely long before colonial trading influences as Susan McIntosh also asserts in her essay on the Prehistory of West Africa, contained within the excellent book Themes in West African History. She states that such a suggestion is in contrast to many of the historical narratives which claim that there was no trading or movement of people from West Africa to Central and Eastern Africa until the Arab trades came in the begining of the Second Millenium C.E.
In this audio recording Dr. Agyekum discusses:
1) The Dipo Festival celebrated by the Kropo people and is a puberty rite for females
2) The Aboakyere Festival celebrated by the Effutus of Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana, it is a Deer Hunting Adventure which determines whether there the upcoming year will be good for crops or good for fishing
3) The Bakatue Festival which is celebrated as the end to the traditional ban on fishing and the begining of the bumper harvest
4) Fetu Afahya a Cape Coast Festival
5) Adade Kese a festival held in the Ashante Kingdom and marks milestones in the history of the Ashante Kingdom
6) The Homowo Festival celebrated in greater Accra and is festival giving thanks for food and makes fun of hunger so that hunger does not come to their people again
7) Hogbetsutso which is celebrated by the Anlo-Ewu people of the Volta Region, it is a time for celebrating the history of exodus from a Tyrannical King Agokolio of Notsie, Togo and is a time for settling disputes between community members
8) Kobine Festival which is celebrated by the Dagaaba people and thanks gods for harvest.
Dr. Agyekum also discusses how festivals are being changed due to modernization. Funerals are also a major topic of discussion. He ends by outlining some of the major roles of festivals and funerals in Ghanaian life.
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