Community gets taste of Homowo
African drummers perform during the Homowo Festival held at Old Salem on Saturday, Sept. 3m. Homowmo is a word in Ghana that means hooting for hunger.
Photo by Tevin Stinson
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
The sounds of African drumming could be heard from blocks away last Saturday, Sept. 3 in Old Salem, as residents gathered together to celebrate African culture during the Homowo Festival.
Homowo is a word from West Africa that means hooting for hunger.
Celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana, the festival is held in remembrance of the famine that once plagued the country.
The local version of the festival featured food tasting of authentic Africa cuisine, African storytelling, arts and crafts, games, and a number of performances by African dancers and drummers. There was also a Mancala tournament, a strategy game played in Ghana.
While enjoying a dance performance, festival goer Carolyn Myers said, she didn’t plan to attend the festival but, when she heard the drumming, and smelled the food while walking downtown she had to stop and see what was going on.
“I’m glad I decided to come,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about the African culture and the food is amazing.”
