The city of Cincinnati played host to the whole of Asanteman residents in North America for their annual Asante day and congress. This cultural event was held on the Labor Day weekend, Saturday August 31st to September 1st at the United Methodist Church auditorium on Kemper Road. This Asante day congress was held under the auspices of the Asanteman Council of North America (ACONA). The objectives for this year’s event was to swear in the new Asantefuohene of Cincinnati, the new Queen mother and the other divisional chiefs, promoting unity of all Asantes in North America, and promote the beauty and richness of the Asante culture.

The rich and glamorous Asante culture was on full display as hundreds of people from all walks of life and from all races and cultures, and ethnic groups feasted their eyes on what Ashantis have to offer.

On Saturday the new Asantefuohene of Cincinnati, Nana Adu Poku and the new Asantefuohemaa, Nana Abena Obi Yaa together with the various divisional chiefs swore the great oath of Asanteman before the teaming crowd. The Asantehene, Otumfour Opoku Ware II was represented by his special envoy, Nana Adusei Atwerewa Ampem, Omanhene of the Tepa traditional area. Other prominent chiefs in the entourage were Nana Osei Kwadwo, the Mawerehene of Kumasi and Oheneba Nana Osei.

In his keynote address, the Tepahene delivered a special message from the Asantehene to all his subjects in the diaspora. He entreated all of them to unite and help develop their hometowns, and in so doing help develop Ashanti and Ghana as a whole. He also encouraged them to help each other and be each other’s brother’s keeper, be law abiding residents of their host countries. His speech was followed by the Mayor of Forest Park, and then a representative Stephen Hill, a State Representative. The rest of the night was all cultural displays, Kete, Adowa dancing and of course, highlife music provided by our own DJ Coolman.

On Sunday at noon, all Asanteman met at the auditorium to deliberate on how to help develop Asanteman. In a lovely discussion chaired by the Tepahene, many decisions were adopted that will go long way to help the health and education sectors in the Ashanti Region.

Sunday evening was the real Asante day proper. All the various Asantefuohenes and their queen mothers in North America put up splendid cultural displays. The scene was like a typical durbar of Chiefs at Manhyia. All the chiefs were dressed in rich Kente cloths and were adorned with gold ornaments. They were followed by serfs who wore feathered hat and carried gold plated swords. It was such a great beauty, and the hundreds of spectators could not stop clapping and screaming with joy, others could not help but mimic the dancing of the chiefs. There were sounds of fontomfrom, adowa and kete.This display of culture was rounded off with a dinner dance.

Submitted by Felix Gyabaa-Mensah, Cincinnati, Ohio USA.