Christmas celebration in the Twin City of Sekondi-Takoradi is never complete without the display by colourful masquerades parading the streets with brass band music, and dancing to the admiration of the general public.
The age-old tradition is largely embraced by many inhabitants who look forward to it every year, in an event dubbed Westside Carnival, often organised by Takoradi-based Skyy Power FM for about three days or more.
The event kicked off on Boxing Day, December 26. It brings Takoradi inhabitants from other parts of the country, and even those in the diaspora, especially from the USA, Italy and Spain, who return home to join the colourful display.
The excitement of the festival is not only in the dancing skills and colourful attire of different designs, but also the masks that each masquerade wears and how they appear in them.
Some of the masquerade groups have existed for decades, and one of the oldest in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis is the group known as ‘Ankors’, which has been around for sixty years.
This group is often financed by Ghanaians in the diaspora who are also very active members.
As part of the Carnival, the various masquerade groups, after going through the principal streets, mounted the stage to display their music and dancing skills, after which winners were selected and rewarded.
Thousands of people gathered around at Amanful near the Takoradi Market Circle, to catch a glimpse of the masquerades, and have the feel of the popular street Carnival.
The over 52 masquerade groups in the Twin City have young boys and girls, and older men and women as members.
One of the highlights worth mentioning is the participation of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah affectionately called “Kobby” who has been a masquerade for many years before he became MP.
The Takoradi MP was usually mobbed by the crowd after he took off his mask.
Sekondi-Takoradi Christmas City Project
In 2019, the Takoradi MP and current Western Regional Minister inspired the Sekondi-Takoradi Christmas City Project to bring a new buzz to the Twin City and translate the buzz into wealth and job creation and private enterprise.
It is the intention of the promotors to use the project among other things to:
• Promote the tourism potential of the Western Region.
• Generate activities that will showcase the talents of the spectrum of persons who live in the city which will span music, sports, arts, and all those beautiful segments of our being.
• Promote business and investment and attract joint ventures in the business areas that we have the competitive advantage such as Agriculture, Mining, Education, Tourism and manufacturing industries.
• Attract over two hundred thousand visitors and potential investors to our beautiful twin city.
• Revive the international image and nature of the great city of Sekondi-Takoradi
This agenda is envisaged to be a collective responsibility of all the city’s stakeholders like chiefs, women, children, corporate society, youth, academia and religious bodies.
The first edition of the Sekondi-Takoradi Christmas City Project was held in the year 2020. The City was declared the official Christmas City of Ghana by Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah. This he did under the WRCC Investment Center which is under the supervision of the Western Region Coordinating Council.
Under this project, Christmas in the Twin City will always begin on the 19th of December and end on the 2nd of January.
However, in 2020 COVID-19 was at its peak so the festival was celebrated in a miniature manner. Activities were limited to:
• The SEKUNDE Bronya initiated by Connect Fm.
• The Sekondi-Takoradi Marathon implemented by Medievents and Total Marketing & Tours Ltd
• The Potamanto Festival
• The Ministry of Trade & GEPA initiated the Bronya Trade Fair
• The ORPED Ghana Children’s Outreach in the sea communities of Nkotompo and Ngeresia
• The Masqueraders pockets actions which observed a lot of social distancing
• Media outreaches to educate the communities of creating a new festival to reawaken our beautiful City of such international repute. Hang on for the highlights of this year’s Project.
Feature by Seth A Danquah
