Know my culture by @samspidy1

Hi everyone on here, I hope you guys are doing great. I wish you have a blessed Friday today. I’m here to share cultural stuff from my hood (Dagbong) in the northern part of my country Ghana, and what I want to share is actually a cultural dance called Baamaaya ( meaning the crop forest or the river valley has finally gotten water or is wet).

It all came about first in around the 19th century when our ancestors faced a serious drought and didn’t know what to do, they had to consult the gods for answers and fortunately answers were given and were followed. The dance came after the drought was over and they had a heavy rain which was more than enough to grow their crops and to have some stored and also feel their rivers and dams.

And what I want to talk about is the costumes that were and still used in the dancing. Some add magical stuff on as a decoration to the costumes. What’s tied on the waist is called “Yabsa” ( lol sorry there’s no name for that in English) and that’s the whitish-like cotton and arched to it is a thread round by beads and they are all modernized now with the beads and all because there were no beads as at then.

And what’s tied on the feet is called “chagla” which comprises of shaped flexible zinc and Burgla proof designed into round nice shape. The dressing can be of any kind but they prefer kind of ladies wears and in addition, added is a ladies scurf. The design around the neck is made with either a goat skin or a sheep skin and the white around stuff on it is sea shells which we call “lagkpahra”.

Below is a skirt-like outfit to have them able to move their legs freely because the dance involves opening wide the legs 😁. I think that is all I have to say about this part of my culture and coming up will be more of this. I have an amazing culture and I would like to share to the world of amazing people on here.