UNTOLD STORIES OF THE GHANAIAN CULTURE.

June 30, 2015
UNTOLD STORIES OF THE
GHANAIAN CULTURE.

I find it most difficult to
comprehend how people who are
self-professed experts in the study
and understanding of cultures not
akin to but remotely alien to them,
find joy in portraying the peoples’
culture in a derogatory manner.
Apallingly enough, the rage of the
times which is an emulation of
western culture or conventions
without a whiff of protecting our
identity as a people has led to some
aspects of the Ghanaian culture
being left to teether on the brink of
extinction.
Growing up, I relive my early years
and can only conclude that times
have changed and improvements
and modifications to culture have
been realised. But sadly, a lot of
these are in the wrong direction.
Whether seemingly out of ignorance
or an adamancy to adhere to the
right, we have contributed
immensely to our culture haven
deviated off of what made it
valuable.
As a direct result, most Ghanaian
citizens, especially those born and
brought up in recent years have no
recourse to the importance of
cultural aspects as dress,
homeliness, esteem for elders,
respect for our native languages
and all things Ghanaian. Gradually,
we are being doomed to suffering
in the abyss of an identity crisis as
we seem more keen on hallowing
those foreign practices that put paid
to our cherished heritage. The
culture of passing down
generational histories through the
art of oral story telling is on a sharp
decline towards extinction. Our old
ones who are considered as expert,
tell-it-all repositories of this store of
cultural knowledge are also dying
away with their accumulated store
without our learned experts haven
been able to tap into that for
posterity’s benefit.
It is such an unheard of
development to see a group of
technologists fashion out a
contraption ostensibly aimed at
making the art of revered fufu
pounding mechanical and more
easier. Most Ghanaians have
welcomed and made it a routine
replacement for the pestle and
mortar from ages old. They have no
regard for the ancient tales spun by
the rythmic thump thump of the
pestle’s ragged head against the
contents of the wooden mortar. I
watch television documentaries and
realise how the Japs and Koreans
blindside us into making their
products our preferred choice while
they religiously revere their
indigenous way of life which is very
evident even in aspects like
technology, arts and architecture.
From being a country with not so
much to fall on but their culture,
the Japanese have braved the tides
of modern advancement through a
heavy reliance on culture. Kimonos
are world standard forms of couture
now, yet Ghana’s kente is
laughingly made mockery of as
being a blanket as written by one
Joe-DeGraft Appiah of blessed
memory, (one of the pioneers of
Ghana’s independence struggle)
during his early years as a black
student in England.
I carry with me this sense of deep
foreboding that most of our
indigenous languages may be
corrupted into extinction if care is
not taken. Many an European or
western head of state has addressed
international forums in their own
indigenous language with no regard
for the discomfort of attending
members who have to rely heavily
on translating machines in order to
comprehend what is said. My point
here is that, the making of an
indigenous language as the national
lingua franca, not only shows
national pride but also belief in the
capabilities of the country in
perspective.
The tales we spin will forever keep
unravelling for as long as it rains
and thunders roll in the heavens.
This is just a beginning of the
untold stories of the Ghanaian
culture.

PUBLISHED BY COBY DANIELS
https://thawritershub.wordpress.com