Bentsifi’s Tattle…Guy about town
Bentsifi’s Tattle…Guy about town
Let’s meet Easter Sunday
Up, up and away! It’s the Kwahu Paragliding Festival this weekend
All week, I’ve been tossing around with the idea of where to spend this Easter weekend. Or, at least, Easter Saturday. Because, I have a lunch date at Kempinski locked in with my “forever family”. We’ve been spending Easter together for over 20 years. There’s something special about being consistent with a certain gesture that roll into a tradition over time.
Sometimes, we even spend the entire weekend away in Busua, staying at the beach resort. When the patriarch of the family passed away, Busua became particularly painful to visit. There were too many memories. That first year, especially. So, the choice was to still be together but stay at the Labadi Beach Hotel. There, we had unplanned therapy sessions recounting moments we had shared with him, his wisecracks, his mannerisms and his wisdom. Somehow, that eased the pain of remembering him. Even that year, we still went to Kempinski for lunch on Easter Sunday. And, it has been there every Sunday since then, whenever we were all in town.
This Easter, is it Kwahu or Keta?
This is really a vibe decision, not just a location. And both hit, but they serve very different energies. Kwahu is giving the whole elevated electric vibes with its mountain views and high-altitude air, which I love, and yearn! Not to mention the whole paragliding event with the big crowds, big energy, music, and also the nightlife! There are so many gigs promoted to be taking place with loads of stars!
Kwahu has a strong national buzz, particularly because of the hype it has received over the years, and from the intrigue of the paragliding event that takes place during Easter there. So, everybody does Kwahu. And Kwahu Easter has an attitude. It’s a festive atmosphere that it gives, especially on Saturday. Then on Sunday, punters reconnect in Church.
On the other hand, the emerging destination of the ancient town of Keta, is where a new event is brewing during Easter – the Vodza Easter Regatta; an organised sporting event consisting of a series of boat races, but in this case, canoe races! Isn’t that exciting.
Keta’s energy is a different kind of vibe. As an incoming phenomenon, Keta and its environs offer elemental, but cinematic aura. That’s the charm of the place. It has ocean and lagoon and wide open horizons. It is raw, less crowded, and also has beautiful nature and coastal scenery. Keta is where people didn’t know they needed to go. It is water and wind, and fire at dusk and I feel so much more inclined to do it than anywhere else.
Now, enter Gomoa, and Tuozaafi
Speaking of elsewhere, haven’t we come a long way! Time was when the domestic tourism lure during Easter was technically all about Kwahu. It was as if Easter was celebrated only up in those Kwahu highlands. All roads led up the Nkawkaw mountains, to the vicinity where stands so many beautiful houses with hardly any occupants. Many of the houses here are country homes of indigenes who actually live and work in the capital, Accra.
Now, though, things have changed.
Across the country, new cultural and lifestyle events have emerged, all vying for audience. Besides what is happening on the Volta, and in the Kwahu mountains, has come another Easter event vying to be counted as such.
As will happen in Kwahu, an array of music stars is set to thrill the stage at the maiden edition of the Gomoa Easter Carnival scheduled for April 2 to 5. Highlighting tradition, food, and local enterprise across various Gomoa communities in the Central Region, this festive occasion debuts as one to bring some needed momentum to that part of the country. After, a relaxed bonfire welcome night on day one at the Crown Forest Hotel located in Gomoa Nsuaem, just minutes from the coastal town of Winneba. A remarkable destination redefining the traditional nature retreat with a sanctuary where the natural beauty of Ghana meets the refined elegance of world-class hospitality.
Crown Forest, location for the bonfire welcome night for the Gomoa Easter Carnival
Here, matters will begin to gather momentum for this 4-day event from day two on Friday, after an official opening ceremony at Ekwamkrom Jukwa. “Vendors will begin operating across the festival grounds,” explains Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, the prominent Ghanaian hiplife musician, and political activist, who is now MP for Gomoa Central. It is he who is the brainchild of this festival.
He adds that later in the evening the much anticipated classic highlife session will take centre stage at the Ekwamkrom Community Park, marking the beginning of a weekend event that is set to be an Easter tradition.
On Friday, 3 April, at Tamale Jubilee Park, in the Northern Region, another phenomenon will take shape with the inaugural World Tuozaafi Festival. I like the idea. And the fact that there will be mass serving of Tuo Zaafi – that popular Northern Ghanaian dish made from maize/millet, – alongside traditional dances, cultural displays, and fashion catwalks showcasing Northern fabrics.
With the simple objective to promote unity, cultural pride, while putting the spotlight on Northern Ghanaian cuisine, the festival is associated with Chef Jah Bless Faila, known for her record-breaking cookathon attempts, aiming to host a significant cultural and culinary gathering. Interestingly, guests are encouraged to wear traditional Ghanaian attire such as Fugu, Kente, or Tie & Dye.
I really like this idea, not sure about the timing! It is definitely one to consider for the calendar next year!
