By Jerry Azanduna
Techiman (Bon East), Dec.2, GNA-‘War dancers’ of the Builsa Traditional Area in the Upper East Region exhibited an ‘eye-catching’ performance on Monday at the 2024 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC), underway in Techiman, the Bono East Regional capital.
The spectacle at the Techiman Methodist School Park, the venue of the festival was interesting to behold, as the war dancers clad in traditional warring regalia and talisman displayed their ancient “Lealik” war dance to the admiration of the excited spectators.
The ‘Lealik’ war dance of the Builsa people, according to history was performed to commemorate the defeat of the ‘notorious slave raiders’, Samori and Babatu who terrified the Kassena-Nankanas and the Builsas in the late 15th and early16th centuries.
Further checks recounted that the raiders came to those areas to capture the natives and sold them to the Europeans as slaves in the then Gold Coast era, which informed the people to form formidable warriors, who fought with bows and arrows to defend their relations from being taken into slavery.
The theme for the four-day festival is “beyond NAFAC at 60, harnessing culture, the pivot for Ghana’s democracy and sustainable development” and the celebration is showcasing the diverse heritage of culture and tradition.
People from parts of the country are also displaying their various cultures and traditions, performing other traditional dances as well as showcasing local food items.
As the people of Volta displayed the ‘Klipkpo’ dance to portray the rich and diverse culture of the region, people from the Ashanti region also displayed the ancient ‘Adowa’ dance.
The Ashanti warriors also stole the show as they exhibited some performances to depict their rich culture in outdooring their chiefs and displayed the dancing prowess of their ancient priests and priestess who protected their land boundaries and the people in those days.
The people of the Bono East Region also spiced the celebration with a drama to highlight the need for national peace, unity and social cohesion.
GNA