Kofi Akosah-Sarpong reports about the launch of first Ghana festival in Ottawa to showcase Ghanaian culture and tradition in Ottawa’s highly multicultural mix
For long watching in the sidelines as other cultures mount one fiesta or other over the years, the growing Ghanaians resident in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, led by their progressive youth decided that enough of apathy and staged the first Ghanafest, a cultural festival and sports, to demonstrate to other cultures in Ottawa the richness of Ghanaian culture and how well developed is soccer in Ghana.

“Ghanafest,” said Mr. Eddie Peprah, treasurer of the newly formed Ottawa Ghanaian Association, is to “unite Ghanaians in Ottawa, promote Ghanaian culture, provide avenue of assistance for Ghanaians in need and educate the growing number of Ghanaians born in Ottawa who have not been to Ghana before the richness of Ghanaian culture.” Added Mr. Frank Owusu alias “Ajinko,” “This is good attempt to get the Ghanaians together—culture is a uniting cord. Ghanaians here are too individualistic, the impending annual Ghanafest, as other cultures do, will bring them together and create healthy networking over the years.”

No doubt, Anna, she gave only her first name, a Senegalese-Canadian who came with her Ghanaian friends, said, “I came to enjoy Ghanaian culture.” For Godfred Antwi, 17, of Ottawa’s Glebe High School, born in Ottawa and who speaks good Twi though her parents are Ewe, unlike other Ottawa-born Ghanaian teenagers, the Ghanafest will enhance his knowledge of Ghanaian culture. “I go to Ghana often and learn the culture from there. In Ottawa I don’t have any access to Ghanaian culture…My parents speak only Ewe in the house…The Ghanafest, as it develops over the coming years, will help us learn our native culture…It will rekindle friendship and the Ghanaian spirit.”

Ottawa’s beautiful Vincent Massey Park, venue for the Ghanafest, saw tunes from many Ghanaian artists--hip-life to high-life musicians such as Dade Lumba & Friends, Nana Kwabena, Kontihene, Dasibere Gyamina, and Borase music were played. Nana Kwabena’s “Ashock me” send the audience on their feet. Mouth-watering Ghanaian cuisines were served: jolof, kenkey and fish, and waakyi (fried rice and beans) showed the audience the nutritious richness of Ghanaian food in a city where other cultures foods such as the Chinese dominate. Reasonable number of Ghanaian traditional dress added colour to the fete. The Montreal-based Keteke Cultural Troope stole the show with their numerous traditional beat. For more than 30 minutes Keteke’s performance kept the audience spellbound, seeing some curious white Canadians on their feet. One of the key organizers said in future “Ananse storytelling competition will be added in order to develop interest in Ghanaian folklore here.” Other cultural attractions were ampe, dame, chass kele and jame. The soccer match between Ghanaians in Montreal and those in Ottawa saw Ottawa defeating Montreal 4 to 2.

More floated by the vibrant and can-do Ghanaian youth, most either students or educated at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College, the Ghanafest idea started a year ago with soccer, and drawing examples from other cultures, have added culture as a unifier, considering the fact that the Ghanaian community in Ottawa is catnapped. Said Mr. Ben Agbanti, president of the Ottawa Ghanaian Association and a computer science student at Carleton University, “The Ghanaian association in Ottawa is not functioning, so we are using the Ghanafest to bring Ghanaians together every year. As the festival evolve we will create a database of e-mails and other addresses, as we gather them to network…I have created a web page (www3.simpatico.ca/budubanti) towards this effect…Our problem now is sponsorship and volunteers.” Added Mr. John Asante, a graduate student of Information Systems at Carleton University, “The Ghanafest enabled us to share our experiences together and we are able to form connections together for the future of Ghana in today’s global system.”

Responding to the creative energy of the Ghanaian youth, noteworthy personalities in the Ghanaian community graced the occasion to added not only encouragement but also rally the Ghanaian culture to other cultures. Mr. Samuel Odoi-Sykes, the Ghana High Commissioner to Canada and his staff (they were introduced to the audience) were in attendance, and so were dignitaries like Dr. Daniel Osabu-Kle, a political scientist at Carleton University, and Nana Adu Gyamfi, a former chief of the Asantes in Montreal.

In a post-Ghanafest address, Mr. Odoi-Sykes, whose mission bankrolled most of the cost of the Ghanafest (other sponsors were Mama Cee Inc and Tropical Flavors), drew from his rich experiences of Ghanaian cultures and explained how in Ghana there are many festivals aimed at bringing together members of an ethnic group for various purposes. “Ghanafest should strive for same.” He said the importance of a Ghanaian association could be seen in this way: “members of the Ghanaian community in Ottawa (or Canada for that matter) replaces (functions) as family in times of problems and joys. “So the Ghanaian community should not be taken for granted.” Mr. Odoi-Sykes added that, “Whether you have been in Canada for years, Ghana still remains your first home…It is, therefore, an opportunity to be both a Ghanaian and Canadian…So use the dual citizenship law for your advantage…Take interest in what is happening in Ghana, help families and friends…Help Ghana.”

Dr. Osabu-Kle congratulated the Ghanaian youth for injecting warmth among the Ghanaians. He praised their voluntary help. “This is time for networking and how we can better co-operate, if we should mix well with other communities, we should mix well as Ghanaians…Never forget to love Ghana.” Mr. Charles Agyei-Amoamah, the deputy Ghana High Commissioner, who have been helping the youth fine-tune their plans, said, “It was an impressive organizational work by the youngsters. I would encourage them to use it to revive the Ghana association in Ottawa which some time ago worked well to establish the National Council of Ghanaian Canadians which was headquartered in Ottawa.”

Officers of the newly formed Ottawa Ghanaian Association, which flowered out of the Ghana Youth Association, are:

President……..Benjamin Agbanti

Vice President….Kofi Kuwornu

Treasurer…..Eddie Peprah

Financial Secretary……Christina Benin

Secretary…………….Olivia Obiri-Yeboah

Porter………………Phoebea Quansah

Organizing Secretary…..Sheriff Seid, Sardis Adjetey, and Duke Badu

Publicity…….Bright Asibey, Sardis Adjetey and Benjamin Agbanti

Other Ghanaians such Dr. Osabu-Kle, Mr. Kofi Akosah-Sarpong and Mr. Agyei-Amoamah have pledged to contribute their experiences to them whenever they need them.