Ga People - Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture

The Ga people celebrate the Homowo festival, which literally means "hooting at hunger." This festival originated several centuries ago. The passing of this terrible period was marked by celebrating this festival. It takes place every year and is celebrated by all the Ga clans.

The Ada people celebrate Asafotu which is also called 'Asafotufiam',an annual warrior's festival celebrated by Ga people from the last Thursday of July to the first weekend of August. It commemorates the victories of the warriors in battle and those who fell on the battlefield. To re-enact these historic events, the warrior dresses in traditional battle dress and stage a mock battle. This is also a time when the young men are introduced to warfare. The festival also ushers in the harvest cycle for this special customs and ceremonies are performed. These include purification ceremonies. The celebration reaches its climax in a durbar of chiefs, a colourful procession of the Chiefs in palanquins with their retinue. They are accompanied by traditional military groups called 'Asafo Companies' amidst drumming, singing and dancing through the streets and on the durbar grounds. At the durbar, greetings are exchanged between the chiefs, libations are poured and declarations of allegiance made. Though, that being said, the Asafo or in fact the 'Asafo Companies' are originally a culture of the Akan Mfantsefo(Fantes).