Rich cultural display at Zongofest
IT was not for nothing that over 18 tribes from the Zongo communities in Accra took to the Nima Highway to showcase their culturual heritage last Saturday, July 1, a week after Eid ul-Fitr.
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The first Zongofest, a festival celebrating the cultural heritage of the Zongo communities was happening and no one wanted to be left out.
To give the public a view of their rich heritage on Saturday which marked the beginning of the three-day festival, the various chiefs bedecked in their traditional outfits rode on horses from the Kawukudi Junction to the Nima Market square where the activities for the main day was held.
The procession which attracted hundreds of onlookers and revelers from Nima and its environs thickened the crowd on the streets contributing to a huge traffic jam on the Nima Highway.
But the discomfort of road users was mitigated for as they were wowed by the various traditional dance forms, outfits, among other activities which were displayed as part of the procession.
The festival which ends today aims among others to promote culture and arts within the Zongo communities, create opportunities and provide a platform for exchange of information, ideas, capacity building and interaction between private and public sector.
Speaking at the durbar, the Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, Bonniface Abubakar Saddique, lauded the efforts of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), organisers of Zongofest for bringing such an initiative to highlight the positive atributes of the Zongo Communities in the country.
“I want to use the occasion to congratulate NCC and its collaborators for this worthy cause. This is a good time to market the Zongos well and propagate the good news to others,” he said.
He believes the festival which promises to be an annual event would create a good image for the Zongos and erase the notoriety they have earned in times past.
In an interview with Showbiz on the sidelines of the festival, Ms Stella Kekeli Attakrah, a member of the organising team and staff of NCC, said the patronage for the maiden event has been beyond expectation.
She disclosed that even though the organisers had initially invited 12 chiefs from the Zongos, they were amazed to have over 18 of them taking part in the procession.
Mr Socrates Safo, Director of Creative Arts, responsible for Programmes & Projects at the Commission, said the Zongo communities which are heterogeneous localities in Ghana mostly inhabited by Muslims from various ethnic groups have very rich culture and tradition with huge untapped potential for tourism.
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He was confident that with the advent of Zongofest, the communities would put their act together properly to benefit from the variety of opportunities available to them.
Other activities which marked the celebration of the festival included Face of Zongofest, dance competitions and musical performances and cooking competition to market traditional delicacies from the Nothern part of the country.
Some of the key stakeholders and partners for Zongofest 2017 are the NCC; Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Ministry of Zongo and Inner city Development; Zongo Business Incubator (ZOBI); Yaasalam Opportunity Center; Afro Arab Group; SOLID Multimedia and Zylofon Media.