All is set for this year’s Kente Festival of the chiefs and people of Agotime Traditional Area in the Volta Region. It is under the theme “Attitudinal Change: the Panacea to Our Future Development”.
At the launch of the festival, the chairman of the 2018 planning committee, Mr. Eddie Akotey said the festival has been packaged specifically for domestic and foreign tourists with over 100 tourists from the United States confirming their participation.
Expected to grace the grand durbar on Saturday 20th October 2018 is the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Other dignitaries who have confirmed their participation include the US Ambassador to Ghana, the Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Catherine Afeku, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Letsa among others.
The people of Agotime instituted the Kente festival in 1995 as part of measures to preserve the uniqueness of the Kente cloth which has for long remained the identity of the African and for that matter the Ghanaian. This unique festival by all standards offers the opportunity for the display of quality woven Kente from arguably the original home. The organisers intoned that all is set to ensure that this year’s edition exceeds the expectations of all guests and indigenes from the traditional area.
The festival aims to preserve the cultural and aesthetic values of the Kente cloth and project its various uses; expose new techniques and innovations in the Kente industry; attract tourists to Ghana and the Agotime and above all unite the people for the socio-economic development.
The festival has a history of high patronage from international and domestic tourists, politicians, researchers, students and indigenes from the 37 towns and villages of the Agotime Traditional Area. It always offers an opportunity to put Ghana on the world tourism map.
This year’s edition has a lot of cultural and social activities that give a wholesome package to tourists apart from the quality and wide range of Kente fabrics. By showcasing the local culture, visitors are given an insight into the creative community spirit of the people of Agotime, inspiring everyone to join the Kente magic trail.
According to the schedule for the week-long programme, Sunday October 14 marks the start of the festival with an inter-denominational church service to be followed by a brass band procession in selected towns and villages in the evening.
Traditional prayers, clean-up exercise and inter-schools quiz competition for JHS students are scheduled for Monday. Tuesday is devoted for health walk and health screening exercise across major towns and villages in the traditional area. Women and children’s day takes center stage on Wednesday.
Godigbe, Asialetorme (Maidens water fetching), and Borborbor competition would take place on Thursday. Friday is packed with the firing of musketry, clans feast or Totokpakpa Bazaar, Kente weaving competition, beauty pageant and street jams.
Saturday is the climax of the celebration with a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of Agotime. In attendance will be the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the special guest of honor. The grand durbar is a moment rich with symbolism and pomp. Symbolism in the fact that Kente’s story of diversity in unity will be on display. Later in the evening, there will be dinner dance and street jams that would run concurrently.
Sunday crowns the week-long celebration with an inter-denominational thanksgiving service in the morning and the finals of the football match in the afternoon. All roads lead to Agotime, the home of quality and authentic Kente. Aza looo, Aza seeee…
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
