Yam festivals are essential events that mark the passing of another season, honor religious offerings and provide a cultural focal point for a whole town to converge around. Celebrations of culture, community and life, yam festivals occur throughout West Africa.
Frequently called the “yam belt,” West Africa accounts for 94% of the world’s yam production, with Nigeria alone producing about 50 million tonnes annually, more than two-thirds of the global yam crop. The yam is considered by most West African ethnic groups to be a symbol of fertility and the sustainability of life, and it often plays versatile cultural roles, used in inaugural, wedding and naming ceremonies.
Traditionally celebrated in the open like most food festivals, yam festivals across regions attract both thousands of locals and visitors from the United States, Canada, Netherlands and further afield. Over the past decade, the ceremonies have become a significant contribution to West Africa’s tourism, bringing attention and tourists interested in the cuisine.
Yam festivals often encourage and reward agricultural production. In ancient days, the yam was a major crop plant in empire-states and kingdoms such as Ashanti, Dahomey, Nri, Ife and Benin, and before the harvest, festivals were often celebrated to mark a new year.
The yam festivals are even being exported to the diaspora, where they are bringing together West Africans in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The goal is to maintain tradition: If a rite or ritual is performed by the Bono people in Ghana, the same rite will take place for Bono people celebrating in the US.
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Let's delve into the specific traditions and celebrations in Ghana.
The Asogli Yam Festival
The Asogli Yam Festival is a special yearly celebration held by the people of Asogli in the city of Ho, found in the Volta Region of Ghana. Every September, people celebrate the growing of yam.
The Ewe people of Ghana brought this festival with them when they moved from Notse in the Republic of Togo. The Ewes brought the Yam Festival from Notse. This place is in the Republic of Togo, where the festival is still celebrated.
On May 8, 2018, the Asogli state announced a change. They held a press conference in Ho. The festival's name was changed to Te Za (Yam Festival).
In the Ewe language, yam is called “ete.” This word means "it is swollen." Stories say a hunter found the yam in the forest. This was during a time when food was scarce. Instead of taking the yam home, he hid it in the ground. When he returned later, the yam had grown much bigger! It is said that the cultivation of yam among the people of Asogli began when the yam hidden by the hunter during his expedition later germinated and flourished.
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Growing yam is very hard work. In the past, some people who tried to grow it did not live to enjoy their harvest. It took a lot of effort and was sometimes dangerous. There is a saying that means: if yam was eaten on the day it was planted, a goat would never taste its peel. This shows how much hard work was needed.
People asked for help from their gods and ancestors. During harvest time, usually in September, the gods and ancestors are honored first. They are given boiled and mashed yam. This yam is often white and mixed with red oil. It is called “bakabake.” No one else eats the yam until this special offering, called "Dzawuwu," is done. After that, everyone shares the mashed yam. This shared meal is a symbol of unity.
The festival aims to teach and entertain people. It shares Asogli traditions with Ghanaians and visitors. You can enjoy traditional music, dance, and stories. The festival ends with a big gathering called a durbar.
Togbe Aƒede XIV has worked to unite many chiefs. These chiefs come from the Volta Region and other parts of Ghana and Togo. In 2004, Togbe Aƒede XIV helped bring the Yam Festival back. It had not been celebrated for over ten years.
The Asogli Yam Festival Aims:
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- To gather people and resources in Asogli State.
- To show loyalty to the Agbogbome stool every year.
The Fofie Yam Festival
The Fofie Yam Festival is celebrated throughout the Techiman traditional area by the chiefs and people of the region. The Fofie Yam Festival is a joyful event that gives thanks for the harvest and God’s ongoing protection; locals also use the event to invoke further blessings and guidance for the year ahead.
Fofie is an Akan word for Friday; the celebration is traditionally held on this day and often through Saturday and for a number of days either side. Every October, the Fofie Yam Festival takes place but celebration of this humble vegetable is commonplace across the whole nation.
During the festival, music and dancing are key features; drumming is carried out by many of the locals, to which dancing is performed, often in public spaces where crowds look on and cheer. Locals get dressed in their best outfits to mark the event - many people wear clothing made from traditional Kente cloth, and gather in the main parts of town to greet their chiefs. It is traditional at this time of year for families to come together and celebrate the harvest.
It is customary for a theme to be chosen for the Fofie Yam Festival and speeches are typically given by the main chiefs from the region in accordance with the chosen subject. The chief will usually make use of this time to unite the local people, give thanks for the growing economy and also to outline any concerns within the region that need addressing. After the main address, the chiefs will traditionally meet with people from the Techiman region as well as dignitaries who travel in from across the country for the event.
HOW ASOGLI YAM FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED IN GHANA
The Ashanti Yam Festival
The Ashanti Yam Festival is an annual celebration of the Ashanti people of Ashanti. The Ashanti Yam Festival is observed for five days starting with a Tuesday, as dictated by the local chief priest. It marks the first harvest of yams during the autumnal season, subsequent to the monsoon season.
The first offering of the crop is made to the ancestral gods by the chief priest of the Ashanti; the religious rite includes taking the yams on the second day of the festival in a procession to the ancestral ground.
Music and dance are part of the festivities on all the five days. The festival is also popular because the King supervises the performance of the ablution ceremony by cleaning all the ancestral royal Stools (chairs). Before the start of the festival celebrations, the king inspects the Dampan structure which is erected temporarily to hold the public function. Another tradition during this festival is the melting of royal gold ornaments, ancient in design, and with due approval of the Government, to fashion them into new designs.
The five days of the Ashanti Yam Festival:
- On the first day of the festival, the way to the burial ground of the Chiefs of Asantis is swept clean.
- On the second day, the yam is carried by the priests in a colourful procession for offering to the ancestors buried in the burial chambers. Only after this offering is completed are people allowed to consume the new crop of yam.
- The third day is observed as a mourning day for the ancestors and also to keep a fast.
- On the fourth day, the chief hosts a dinner at his house for all people. On the night of the fourth day, people remain indoors to avoid witnessing the cleansing of the chiefs' thrones, symbols of the dead people's spirits, in the Draa River at Kumasi.
- On the fifth day, a grand parade of the chief and his family, and courtiers, all dressed in regal finery, proceeds through the streets to pay respects to the senior local chief at his residence.
Yam Festival Art
Yam Festival art encompasses the diverse artistic expressions associated with yam harvest celebrations across West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the significance of art in Yam Festivals?
Q: How has Yam Festival art evolved over time?
Q: What types of artists participate in Yam Festival celebrations?
Q: How does Yam Festival art reflect agricultural themes?
Q: What role does performance play in Yam Festival art?
Q: How are traditional Yam Festival art forms being preserved?
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