Pausing my hobby to pacify the gods for a month

Imagine having to pause a hobby you love doing so much for a whole month.

How you feel is exactly what I am going through till the end of the “ban on noise making” in Teshie in preparation for the Homowo festival.

Music to me is life. Loud music is all I need to have a sound mind and be at peace with myself. I wake up to loud music and sleep with loud music because it’s my haven.

I moved to Teshie just a week before the ban. All the noise I could make was during the week I moved because I wouldn’t be able to make noise till after the festival.

The “ban on noise making” is a sacred event during the festival to observe silence and solemn mood to pray to the ancestors for a bumper harvest. It is more or less like a fasting period as observed by Christians. The wulɔmɛi (the fetish priest) leads in this. 

During this period, anything that produces noise is prohibited. You will hear kpãashimɔ songs (cultural songs) during this time. It is believed that it is used to praise the ancestors and their good deeds.

The Ga people are known to be very lively. They are known not to be quiet people. I can only imagine how they also cope during this period. I am sure they are used to it since it is their culture and they get to experience it one particular month within a year.

One thing that always puts us on the map is our culture and our heritage as Ghanaians. It is only appropriate and nice to have a feel of other people's culture so we appreciate and respect what they have. 

I cannot wait for the sound of the drum that is beaten on the last Saturday at midnight to signal everyone that the ban has been lifted. That will be a sign of relief because “I can go back to my normal life again”.