By Kingsley Nana Buadu
As part of activities that marked the commemoration of this year’s African Union Day, a cultural and traditional festival has been organised at the African Union Village in Gomoa Otsew of the Central Region.
The festival highlighted the various traditions and cultures not only in Ghana but in other African countries through music and dance, African fashion, and food.
The immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Cape Coast Technical University, Ing. Prof. Joshua Danso Owusu Sekyere, stressed that the total realisation of the Vision of the African Union would largely depend on the effective collaboration and integration of the African people and their cultures.
African Union Day is observed annually to commemorate the founding of the organisation of African Unity, created on May 25, 1963.
The day provides an opportunity to celebrate the socio-economic achievements of the continent.
It has further become a day to celebrate the people of Africa and African descent and highlight the different and creative identities of the people through the lens of art, culture, and heritage.
It is in this spirit that the African Union Village held the festival, which is the first of its kind to present the various African cultures and traditions to the African people.
The first edition featured cultural and traditional groups from various regions and some African countries, including Ivory Coast and Liberia.
The performances commenced with thought-provoking spoken words from Gerold Gyabaa, with stage name “Stranja depoet” and Laud De-Poet.
A beautiful display of culture and tradition through drumming, music, and dance followed.
It started with performances from various parts of Ghana and later cultural performances from Ivory Coast and Liberia.
The CEO of the African Union Village and the organiser of the festival, Terry Owusu Adjei, indicated that the festival would be an annual event that would bring the continent under one roof and project its various beautiful cultures and traditions to the people.
The Immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Cape Coast Technical University, Ing. Prof. Joshua Danso Owusu Sekyere, was of the opinion that the total realisation of the African Union vision would largely depend on the promotion and integration of the traditions and cultures of the African people.
To him, the achievement of the vision is possible, but the people of the continent need to be integrated to see themselves as one people.