Kente Festival of the Agotime people
Agbamevoza - the Kente Festival of the Agotime people
The chiefs and people of Agotime traditional area, a few kilometers east of Ho, who are indeed Ga-Adanbges, celebrate their annual Kente festivals in August every year. This is a unique festival by all standards. The 'time people claim they introduced the art of Kente weaving to present-day Ghana and consequently have marking this event with a colourful festival. The festival culminates in a durbar of chiefs and subjects and.nous types of Kente cloth are put on display. A unique aspect of the festival is Kente-weaving competition is the election of Miss "Agbamevor" (Miss Kente), on Saturday. This unique festival attracts thousands of people and tourists from far and near. |
KENTE - from the KPETOE KENE WEAVING VILLAGE
Many collectors regard Ewe textiles as the highest expression of African weaving artistry. The weavers of Kpetoe claim an Akan origin from an area towards the coast near Accra. Although they do supply important regalia to local chiefs, Ewe
weavers work primarily for sale through markets and to fill orders from important local men and women~ Today Ewe weavers are concentrated around two towns, Kpetoe and Agbozume, with the latter the site of a large cloth market
which draws buyers from throughout Ghana as well as neighbouring countries.
Ewe weavers utilise an almost identical form of the narrow-strip loom as that of the Asante, and there is considerable evidence to suggest mutual influence between the weavers of the two traditions, as might be expected from the long
history of contacts. However, Ewe weaving has also been influenced by other neighbouring peoples, including the Fon of Benin and the Yoruba of Nigeria.
One particularly interesting and distinctive type of Ewe cloth, sometimes called Adanudo, features a rich variety of inlaid pictures, often on a plain silk, rayon, or cotton background. Among the subjects depicted on these cloths are animals
such as cows, sheep and horses, human figures, ceremonial stools, hats, trees and flowers, and household objects such as dining forks. Young boys are taught the craft of weaving from an early age.
Many collectors regard Ewe textiles as the highest expression of African weaving artistry. The weavers of Kpetoe claim an Akan origin from an area towards the coast near Accra. Although they do supply important regalia to local chiefs, Ewe
weavers work primarily for sale through markets and to fill orders from important local men and women~ Today Ewe weavers are concentrated around two towns, Kpetoe and Agbozume, with the latter the site of a large cloth market
which draws buyers from throughout Ghana as well as neighbouring countries.
Ewe weavers utilise an almost identical form of the narrow-strip loom as that of the Asante, and there is considerable evidence to suggest mutual influence between the weavers of the two traditions, as might be expected from the long
history of contacts. However, Ewe weaving has also been influenced by other neighbouring peoples, including the Fon of Benin and the Yoruba of Nigeria.
One particularly interesting and distinctive type of Ewe cloth, sometimes called Adanudo, features a rich variety of inlaid pictures, often on a plain silk, rayon, or cotton background. Among the subjects depicted on these cloths are animals
such as cows, sheep and horses, human figures, ceremonial stools, hats, trees and flowers, and household objects such as dining forks. Young boys are taught the craft of weaving from an early age.
Tourists pour into Kpetoe for Kente Festival
Hundreds of local and foreign tourists on Saturday tasted the cultural and artistic elegance of the chiefs and people of Agotime Traditional Area at a grand durbar to climax this year’s Agbamevorza (Kente Festival) of the Area.
Donned in various distinct Kente designs and prints, the people; old and young, including chiefs performed artistic and warrior dances all day to showcase their rich culture as hordes of people scrambled to capture the spectacle on their digital and mobile phone cameras.
A procession of chiefs dancing in palanquins heralded the occasion drawing crowds to the durbar grounds where all business activities had shifted to.
Two chiefs in separate palanquins danced into each other to exchange copies of the New Testament to symbolise and act out the theme of the festival: “Unity in Development”
All the 37 communities forming the Traditional Area displayed distinctive cultural style and skill to portray the diversity of the area.
The town was virtually bathing in music, dance, arts and culture with the people demonstrating high levels of tolerance and hospitality as locals and strangers mixed and interacted with glee.
Mr Alex Asum Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, who represented the Vice-President, commended the people for initiating the festival and expressed asked the youth to uphold the nation’s cultures to protect their diverse identities for posterity.
He however warned communities especially those with tourist potentials against child trafficking and child labour.
Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament for the Area, who was clad in a sophisticated Kente design tailored to perfection said kente originated from Kpetoe.
She urged communities all over the country to identify and develop tourist potentials in their areas to attract government support and investment from local and foreign interests.
Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime Traditional Area, appealed for a facelift of Kpetoe to befit its status as a tourist destination and home of Kente.
He also called on government to adopt the Kente Festival as a national event to bring communities in weaving and artefacts together through activities such as inter-cultural exchange programmes.
Funds were raised to start the construction of a “Kente Market and Village” * Source: GNA
(KPETOE) ADAKLU ANYIGBE
Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime State, has appealed to the government to make the Kente festival of the chiefs and people of the Agotime Traditional Area a national event.
He said this is because the cloth was the “single most important and identifiable cultural heritage of Ghana. ”
Nene Keteku said this at the formal launch of this year’s Agotime Kente Festival at Kpetoe .
He said Kente continued to attract several tourists to the country and needed to be given more recognition as a national asset.
“Many people in the outside world know Ghana as Kente and Kente as Ghana so the least we can do is to celebrate the cloth to attract more tourists who would want to know the background of Kente,” Nene Keteku said.
He said the festival had firmly taken root at Agotime Traditional Area and appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to help establish a Kente Market and village at Kpetoe to serve the shopping needs of tourists.
Nene Keteku said this year’s festival would be one with a difference and would be characterized with cultural displays, entertainment and the showcasing of the cultural uses of Kente.
It would also be given another boost following the resolution of an 89-year chieftaincy dispute between Kpetoe and Afegame and for the first time in 89 years, all the 36 towns and villages of Agotime would join in the celebration.
“
It must be mentioned that Afegame is the spiritual home of the Agotimes. And, for the first time, all guests will witness a blend of Adangme and Ewe cultural tradition in the celebration of this year’s festival,” Nene Keteku said.
Investigations have revealed that the price of Kente has gone up ahead of the festival.
Mr Alex Kwaku, a kente weaver at Kpetoe, said he had been working for close to 20 hours every day to meet orders and confirmed that prices had gone up due to the high demand and the extra effort weavers were putting into the work.
Mr Kwaku said high quality piece of Kente with modern and sophisticated designs which sold for 400 Ghana cedis now goes for 500 Ghana cedis. The less sophisticated designs that sold for about $250 are now selling at between $300 and $400 *
*Source: GNA
Hundreds of local and foreign tourists on Saturday tasted the cultural and artistic elegance of the chiefs and people of Agotime Traditional Area at a grand durbar to climax this year’s Agbamevorza (Kente Festival) of the Area.
Donned in various distinct Kente designs and prints, the people; old and young, including chiefs performed artistic and warrior dances all day to showcase their rich culture as hordes of people scrambled to capture the spectacle on their digital and mobile phone cameras.
A procession of chiefs dancing in palanquins heralded the occasion drawing crowds to the durbar grounds where all business activities had shifted to.
Two chiefs in separate palanquins danced into each other to exchange copies of the New Testament to symbolise and act out the theme of the festival: “Unity in Development”
All the 37 communities forming the Traditional Area displayed distinctive cultural style and skill to portray the diversity of the area.
The town was virtually bathing in music, dance, arts and culture with the people demonstrating high levels of tolerance and hospitality as locals and strangers mixed and interacted with glee.
Mr Alex Asum Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, who represented the Vice-President, commended the people for initiating the festival and expressed asked the youth to uphold the nation’s cultures to protect their diverse identities for posterity.
He however warned communities especially those with tourist potentials against child trafficking and child labour.
Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament for the Area, who was clad in a sophisticated Kente design tailored to perfection said kente originated from Kpetoe.
She urged communities all over the country to identify and develop tourist potentials in their areas to attract government support and investment from local and foreign interests.
Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime Traditional Area, appealed for a facelift of Kpetoe to befit its status as a tourist destination and home of Kente.
He also called on government to adopt the Kente Festival as a national event to bring communities in weaving and artefacts together through activities such as inter-cultural exchange programmes.
Funds were raised to start the construction of a “Kente Market and Village” * Source: GNA
(KPETOE) ADAKLU ANYIGBE
Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime State, has appealed to the government to make the Kente festival of the chiefs and people of the Agotime Traditional Area a national event.
He said this is because the cloth was the “single most important and identifiable cultural heritage of Ghana. ”
Nene Keteku said this at the formal launch of this year’s Agotime Kente Festival at Kpetoe .
He said Kente continued to attract several tourists to the country and needed to be given more recognition as a national asset.
“Many people in the outside world know Ghana as Kente and Kente as Ghana so the least we can do is to celebrate the cloth to attract more tourists who would want to know the background of Kente,” Nene Keteku said.
He said the festival had firmly taken root at Agotime Traditional Area and appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to help establish a Kente Market and village at Kpetoe to serve the shopping needs of tourists.
Nene Keteku said this year’s festival would be one with a difference and would be characterized with cultural displays, entertainment and the showcasing of the cultural uses of Kente.
It would also be given another boost following the resolution of an 89-year chieftaincy dispute between Kpetoe and Afegame and for the first time in 89 years, all the 36 towns and villages of Agotime would join in the celebration.
“
It must be mentioned that Afegame is the spiritual home of the Agotimes. And, for the first time, all guests will witness a blend of Adangme and Ewe cultural tradition in the celebration of this year’s festival,” Nene Keteku said.
Investigations have revealed that the price of Kente has gone up ahead of the festival.
Mr Alex Kwaku, a kente weaver at Kpetoe, said he had been working for close to 20 hours every day to meet orders and confirmed that prices had gone up due to the high demand and the extra effort weavers were putting into the work.
Mr Kwaku said high quality piece of Kente with modern and sophisticated designs which sold for 400 Ghana cedis now goes for 500 Ghana cedis. The less sophisticated designs that sold for about $250 are now selling at between $300 and $400 *
*Source: GNA
COLOURFUL FESTIVALS
Throughout Ghana festivals abound at all times of the year, and the Volta is no exception. If you happen to be in the Volta Region at a time when a festival is taking place, we will arrange for you to attend. Festivals commemorate and celebrate many different events in the lives of the Ewe people - from purification rituals and historic events - to puberty rites and harvest time.
These colourful events feature traditional durbars with chiefs, drumming and partying!
The "Hogbetsotso"(Exodus Festival) in Anloga is celebrated on the first Saturday in November to commemorate the successful exodus of the Anlo people from captivity in Notsie,Togo. Participants walk backwards, symbolizing an escape from the clutches of a tyrannical ruler. The ceremony includes a peace-making period where outstanding problems are resolved, a purification of the traditional stool, a period of general cleaning and a durbar where chiefs dress in traditional regalia and sit in state to receive homage from subjects - followed by general merry making and a re-enactment of the exodus.
Throughout Ghana festivals abound at all times of the year, and the Volta is no exception. If you happen to be in the Volta Region at a time when a festival is taking place, we will arrange for you to attend. Festivals commemorate and celebrate many different events in the lives of the Ewe people - from purification rituals and historic events - to puberty rites and harvest time.
These colourful events feature traditional durbars with chiefs, drumming and partying!
The "Hogbetsotso"(Exodus Festival) in Anloga is celebrated on the first Saturday in November to commemorate the successful exodus of the Anlo people from captivity in Notsie,Togo. Participants walk backwards, symbolizing an escape from the clutches of a tyrannical ruler. The ceremony includes a peace-making period where outstanding problems are resolved, a purification of the traditional stool, a period of general cleaning and a durbar where chiefs dress in traditional regalia and sit in state to receive homage from subjects - followed by general merry making and a re-enactment of the exodus.
British Gold Coast / Ho, Volta region Info /
Search 3 of our sites: ghana-net.com, ghananet.co.uk and ghanawebnews.online
Search ghana-net.com OR ghanaweb-news.com (ONLY)
Radio Live Pages |
Ghana Info Pages |
More Ghana Links
British Gold Coast (Many pictures shown!)
Fort Batenstein (full info website) Logbuch.Ghana-net.net (Deutsch) GhanaHotels.biz (400 + Hotels) All Towns of Ghana, by Region A - Z Preventive child health inequality 1283 private health institutions in Ghana |
Welcome to Ghana! Akwaaba!
Ghana-Net.com is one of Ghana`s oldest websites, with tourism information`s about Ghana, Live Radio, life and culture of of all Ghana Nation`s, and tribes - like Ga people, Fante, Ewe, Ashanti, Dagbani, Frafra, Krobo and many other tribes and kingdoms of Ghana.
Ghana-Net.com 1st time online late December 2000, and updated since 2001 !
Ghana-Net.com is one of Ghana`s oldest websites, with tourism information`s about Ghana, Live Radio, life and culture of of all Ghana Nation`s, and tribes - like Ga people, Fante, Ewe, Ashanti, Dagbani, Frafra, Krobo and many other tribes and kingdoms of Ghana.
Ghana-Net.com 1st time online late December 2000, and updated since 2001 !
Ghana-Net.com - connected with; GhanaRadio.online /
GhanaMirror.com / GhanaWeb-News.com / GhanaMirror.uk / GhanaHotels.biz / GhanaFlights.info /
GhanaMirror.com / GhanaWeb-News.com / GhanaMirror.uk / GhanaHotels.biz / GhanaFlights.info /
Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions and Disclaimer / Services / Contact Us / (c) by ghana-net.com 2000- 2019