The much-anticipated Cultural Oneness Festival came to a successful end in Tamale on Saturday, December 9, 2023.
The Cultural Oneness Festival, which is organized by The Taste Of Afrika, is a vibrant celebration of African cultures and creative arts, promotes local tourism and African heritage.
It showcases Ghanaian cultures, offers investment opportunities, facilitates Diaspora pathways, celebrates Ghana’s heritage, and encourages giving back to the community.
Through music, dance, art, and dialogue, the festival creates a vibrant tapestry of cultural unity, economic growth, and shared values.
The Cultural Oneness Festival which kicked off the 2023 festivities in the Northern part of Ghana took place in the span of four (4) days; Wednesday through Saturday.
Day One: Cultural Roots Tours (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)
The first Day of the Cultural Oneness Festival was dubbed, “Cultural Roots Tours”. Here, team members, diasporans and participants of the Cultural Oneness Festival took a trip from Tamale to the Upper East region to experience memorable tourist centers in the region.
In the Upper East region, the team visited Paga Crocodie Pond and Pikworo Slave Camp to have a feel for and taste of the world’s most acknowledged tourist centers.
Paga Crocodile Pond is a tourist attraction located in the Upper East Region of Ghana. It is home to several crocodiles that are considered sacred by the local people and are believed to possess spiritual powers. Visitors can get up close and personal with the crocodiles and even touch them.
The Pikworo Slave Camp was founded in 1704 and is located in Paga Nania, about 3 kilometers west of Paga in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
It was originally developed as a slave transit center where slaves were auctioned and later resold in the Salaga Slave Market.
The Pikworo Slave Camp in Paga was created as a holding place for slaves brought down from the north until they were forced to continue their trek 150 km south to the slave market at Salaga and then on to the coast for shipment.
Phase Two: Amaraba Street Carnival and Cultural Oneness Fusion Durbar (Thursday, December 7, 2023)
The Second Day of the Cultural Oneness Festival was dubbed, “Amaraba Street Carnival and Cultural Oneness Fusion Durbar”.
Here, a lot of kings and paramount chiefs across the Northern sector and their entourages trooped to Tame Jubilee Park and assembled themselves where there was a total display of diverse cultures unity.
Day Three: Business Forum & Fashion Show (Friday, December 8, 2023)
On the morning of day three, business-minded men and women, including Diasporans, assembled at Radach Lodge & Conference Centre in Tamale and discussed various topics on how to promote and project the goodness and rich cultures of the Northern sector to the rest of the world.
Building strong futures: smart investment in community development was the themse of the business focrum that was held Friday, December 8, 2023 inside Radach Lodge & Conference Centre.
The business minded event was chaired by Jira Buipewura Abdulai Jinaor II, Paramount chief of the Buipe Traditinal Counci, while Martin Chris Glin, co-founder of The Taste Of Afrika, was the speaker.
Tengol K Kplemani (CEO of The Taste Of Afrika), Richard Cox (Senior Vice President of Harlem Tourism Board), Francis Mugoga (Sustainable Tourism Product Development, African Tourism Board), Hippolyt A.S Pul, PhD (Executive Leader Institute for Peace and Development), Prof. Conrad Wuleka Kuuder (Head of Department Eco-Touris and Hospitality Mgt. UDS), Dr. Emmanuel Dasah (Head, Sociology Department – UDS), Et Al, graced the business forum to make it impactful and a day full of ideas sharing.
In the evening, the Fashion Show took its course to celebrate and appreciate diverse cultures in the area of fashion. Margaret Dery, a youth ambassador for the Cultural Oneness Festival, presided over the Fashion Show.
On the night at the Radach Hotel, a host of renowned fashion designers graced the event with models who styled in diverse fashion styles for men and women.
Day Four: Musical Concert (Saturday, December 9, 2023)
The musical concert climaxed the Cultural Oneness Festival. It took place at Tamale Jubilee Park with a fully packed crowd full of music enthusiasts.
On the night, legendary King Ayisoba alongside the Kologo put together arguably his very best stage performance for the teeming fans.
Also, the legendary Abu Sadik stormed the stage to perform his uncountable hit songs to give the fans a run for their money. The musical concert was hosted by G-Face who doubles as a radio journalist and event MC.
Enough, watch the footage below to catch glimpses of the Cultual Oneness Musical Festival