Adae Festival - Asanteman Afahyɛ.

ADAE FESTIVAL – ASANTEMAN AFAHYƐ.
Agoo Asanteman, Ghanaman, fellow Africans and the Diaspora! Tonight let’s educate ourselves about the most prestigious and well acknowledged festival in Ghana, the Adae Festival also known as the Akwasidae festival. 

A festival which arguably, comes next to the Independence Day Celebration. A festival that attracts people from all walks of life, a festival that promotes unity and culture and it’s no other than Adae or Akwasidae Festival which means the “Resting place” celebrated in Ghana’s Asante Kingdom.

The Asante Kingdom has a lot of festivals celebrated by the various individual states in the kingdom, including; Papa Nantwi Festival by the State of Kumawu, Yaa Asantewaa Festival (Ejisu), Apoo Festival (Wenchi), Opemsuo Festival (Kokofu), Kente Festival (Bonwire and Adanwomase), Nkompo Festival (Acherensua), Bayerɛ Festival (Banda), Ntoa Fokuose Festival (Nkoransa), Nhyidwo Festival (Essumeja), Mmoaninko Festival (Offinso), Akobaa Festival (Sekyere Dumase), Kwafie Festival (Berekum), Akwantutenten Festival by the State of Worawora in Oti Region Etc.
 
The independence of Asante Kingdom means a lot to them, which is why the festival is celebrated to mark a milestone of attainment of statehood when we fought and defeated the Denkyiras in the Battle of Feyiase or the Asante Independence War. The festival is so big, no wonder the 2014 Adaekɛseɛ Festival was shown on CNN. 

Adae is celebrated in every 6th week on the Asante calendar or forty to forty two days sparkling with Awukudae or Fofie and it consist of two magnified folds. 

First Face; there is a strictly private solemn of durbar at the king’s palace and some sacred places attended by specified people from the Royal family. And this time, rituals are performed to cleanse the land from any evil. Cleansing of the King’s spirit is also observed and ceremonial foods and drinks like schnapps and mashed yam are presented to the spirits of our ancestors to seek for guidance and protection for the people. 

We use this same rituals to pray for the kingdom to remain united, prosper, and be great and mightier than before. Now let me take you through the second face of the festival.

Face two; that is the public celebration or the Grand durbar. Here, if it is the Adaekɛseɛ festival which is celebrated every five years like the one which was celebrated in April last year, our monarch will dress in a beautiful and intricately woven kente cloth, adorned with pure golden regalia and jewelries, ride and dance in palanquin through the ancient city of Kumasi (Osei Tutu krom), followed by thousands of people signifying to the entire Asanteman that “Me man mma, y’adi nkunim” indeed “My people, we are victorious”. Also, he cleanses the kingdom.
 
When it gets to this season, “yɛfrɛ no, pɛ ani bɛhwɛ” I mean “come and watch it yourself. The entire Asanteman, both men, women and children wore their beautiful kente cloth and ahenema, follow the king throughout the procession amidst drumming, singing, dancing, making merry till they get to the durbar ground. 

That is where they unveil the Golden Stool, “Sikadwa Kofi” that is the Spirit and Soul of the Asantes, for everyone to see.

At this juncture, the Monarch sit in state for his people to come and pay homage to him. As he sit in state, he sit with his left and right hands authorities where you do not see that any woman or a Queen-mother is sitting next or closer to him. 

This is not to say that Queen mothers or women are not relevant in our tradition, but in Akan (Asante) tradition we believe that women have “soft” spirit and also as woman your primary role is to take care of the house and tend the children whiles men are away to hunt or for war, you are not to follow men to hunt at night or for war. That is why in Akan there is a proverb that “Obaa tɔn nyaadoa na ɔntɔn atuduro” to wit “A woman sells garden-eggs (egg plant) and not gun powder”.

So days before the Grand durbar, Queen mothers festival is celebrated to honour our Queen mothers and women of Asante for their collective effort to grow our kingdom (Ahenmaa da – Queen mothers’ day).

As the King still sit in state, he receives dignitaries from all over the world and across his country. Including; Present and past Heads of States, his Paramount Chiefs, Queen Mothers, Abrempong, Sub Chiefs, Government Officials, Organizations, Ambassadors and representatives. Not forgetting invited guest, kings and other traditional rulers from the various Kingdoms across the entire continent and the diaspora. 

It is by no wonder that the 2019 Adaekɛseɛ Festival was so big on BBC and was also live on all the major TV stations in the country and various online platforms. Therefore one is not wrong to say that, it is the only festival that comes next after the Nation's Independence Day Celebration.

Adae festival highlights the tremendous faith the people of Asante Empire have in their culture and tradition. So when it gets to the festival season, I entreat all of you from all over the world to travel to the Asante Kingdom of Ghana and witness the true beauty, pomp, pageantry and classiness of the Asante Culture and tradition.
 
As the King sits in state, he uses the opportunity to advice his people. “The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas but to create a culture where everyone can have an idea and feel that they are also valued” and that is what Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Monarch of the Asante Kingdom stands for. 

During this time, the people of Asante comes in to pledge their outmost support and confidence in Him. He ceases the moment to advice and address social issues concerning his people. He presents awards and donations to deserving citizens. ‘Enti sɛ eduru saa berɛ yi na wose womma saa afahyɛ yi ase a, onua, woara oo woara’. Come and witness the beauty of our culture, the unity, love, greatness and development festivals brings to a nation.

In the evening if you are not in Kumasi or anywhere in Asante then I’m wondering the joy, the chant and the many things you will be missing that night, because even as I’m talking to you, all the fufu joints in Kumasi have already been booked dada. 😀

Piawwwww!!!

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