Ga people

Ga people

Infobox Ethnic group
group = Ga-Adangbe people


caption = Marcel Desailly
poptime = 600,000 peple
3% of Ghana's population
popplace = Predominantly in Accra, Ghana, also UK, Germany, USA, Canada, etc.
langs = Ga language, Ga adangme
rels = Christianity, Traditional, Islam

The Ga are an ethnic group in the West African nation of Ghana. Having a language very similar to that of the Dangme, another Ghanaian ethnic group, the Ga are grouped as part of the Ga-Dangme ethnolinguistic group.

There are about 600,000 Ga speakers, making up about 3% of Ghana's population. Most Ga live in the southeastern coastal region of the country, around the capital of Accra, which the Ga founded in the 1500s as a trading port. The traditional Ga kingdom of Nkran gives Accra its name. Nkran state has been ruled by a succession of kings known as Ga Mantse since its founding in 1510.

Culture

The primary Ga festival is called Homowo, which literally means "hooting at hunger." This festival originated several centuries ago after a great famine in Ga land. The passing of this terrible period was marked by celebrating this festival. It takes place every year and is celebrated by all the Ga clans, but in stages by the various groups and "quarters," beginning with the Ga Mashie and ending with the La.

The Ga are no different from the other ethnic groups in Ghana in their love for music, drumming and dancing. One of their best known traditional music and dance styles (albeit a fairly modern one) is "kpanlogo", a modernized traditional dance and music form developed around 1960. Yacub Addy (b. 1931), Obo Addy (b. 1936) and Mustapha Tettey Addy (b. 1942) are Ga drummers who have achieved international fame.

Funerals and paying last respects

The Ga people are renowned worldwide for their funeral celebrations and processions. The Ga believe that when someone dies, they move to another life. Therefore, special coffins are often crafted by highly skilled carpenters. The coffins can be anything wanted by relatives of the deceased from a pencil to any animal such as an elephant. Coffins are usually crafted to reflect an essence of the deceased, in forms such as a character trait, an occupation, or a symbol of one's standing in the community. [http://www.nmfh.org/exhibits/fantasy/index.html National Museum of Funeral History] . Retrieved 20 September 07] For example, a taxi driver is most likely to be buried in a coffin shaped as a car. These coffins are usually very expensive, as their nature means that skilled carpenters take longer to produce them compared to conventional coffins.

Many families spend excessive amounts on coffins because families often feel that their have to pay their last respects to the deceased and being buried in a coffin of cultural, symbolic as well expensive taste is seen as fitting. Prices of coffins can vary depending on what is being ordered. It is not unusual for a single coffin to cost $600. This is expensive for local families considering that it is not unusual to meet people with an income of only $50 a month, meaning that such a coffin would be approximately a year's wages. This often means that funerals are often paid for by wealthier members of the family, if such a member exists in the family, paying relatively substantial amounts and smaller contributions from other working members of the family. This is needed as the coffin is only a portion of the total funeral cost that will be incurred.

People residing out of Ghana, such as westerners, are known to have been buried in Ga-styled coffins. [http://www.eshopafrica.com/acatalog/Ga_Coffins.html Fair trade arts and crafts direct from African artisans] . Retrieved 20 September 07]

Possible origin

According to the 19th century Ga Christian missionary of the Basel Mission and historian, the Gas came from Israel. This assertion is based on the fact that many Ga cultural traditions have similarities with Jewish customs.Fact|date=March 2008

Notable Ga people

*Saka Acquaye, painter, sculptor, textile designer, teacher, arts administrator, dramatist, and musician (b. 1923)
*Mustapha Tettey Addy, traditional drummer (b. 1942)
*Obo Addy, traditional drummer (b. 1936)
*Yacub Addy, traditional drummer (b. 1931)
*Reverend Peter E. Adotey Addo, storyteller and poet
*Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, athlete (b. 1988)
*Nii Amugi II, Paramount King of the Ga People (b. 1940)
*Joseph Arthur Ankrah, 2nd Head of State Ghana (b. 1915)
*Ayi Kwei Armah, noted Ghanaian writer (b. 1939)
*Dr. Samuel Attoh, Dean of the Graduate School at Loyola University Chicago
*Samuel Richard Brew Attoh-Ahuma, nationalist politician, journalist, and author (b. 1863)
*George Ayittey, president of the Free Africa Foundation
*Cleland Cofie Bruce, Ga Dzasetse, Nii Okai Kwankrah II, March 1980 to December 1994, diplomat, defence attaché, army commander (b. 1920)
*Marcel Desailly, footballer (b. 1968)
*Kofi Ghanaba (born Warren Gamaliel Akwei; also known as Guy Warren), trap drummer, composer, creator of Afro-Jazz, worked with Thelonious Monk, Lester Young and Charlie Parker (b. 1923)
*David Animle Hansen, the first Ghanaian Chief of Naval Staff, 1961-1967; the Ghanaian Navy ship GNS Hansen is named for him
*Dr. Felix Konotey-Ahulu, creationist physician and world-class expert on sickle-cell anemia
*Robert Kotei, Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, 5 July, 1978 – 1979 (b. 1935)
*E. T. Mensah, musician (b. 1919)
* Azumah "The Professor" Nelson, Boxer (b. 1958)
*Napoleon Alexander Odartey-Wellington, Army Commander (b. )
*Lawrence A. Okai, Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, 1976 (b. )
*Nii Amaa Ollennu, former Interim President of Ghana (b. 1906)
*Nii Parkes, sociocultural commentator (b. 1974)
*Clement Quartey, boxer (b. 1938)
* Ike "Bazooka" Quartey, boxer (b. 1969)
*Paul Sackey, rugby union footballer (b. 1979)
*Ben Tackie, boxer (b. 1973)
*Honourable Peter Ala Adjetey, second Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana in the Fourth Republic. (b. 1931)
*Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, Ghanaian engineer with the US space agency, NASA, (b.)More info at http://groups.msn.com/nikasemo/greatgadangmemei.msnw

See also

* Ga language
* Adangme language
* Ga-Dangme languages
* Homowo
* Jamestown, Ghana
* Tabom people
* List of rulers of Gã (Nkran)

References

External links

* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=gaa Ethnologue report for Ga]
* [http://home.triad.rr.com/osofo/people.htm Ga people]
* [http://my.opera.com/Matta/albums/show.dml?id=70928 Pictures of different themed Ghanaian Ga coffins]
* [http://www.africatravelling.net/ghana/accra/accra_history.htm History of Accra]
* [http://www.timbooktu.com/addo/addo.htm Stories by Rev. P.E Adotey Addo]
* [http://www.afriprov.org/ebooks/gadangme.pdf Ga and Dangme Proverbs for Preaching and Teaching] by Joshua N. Kudadjie


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • People's Liberation Army —   中国人民解放军   Emblem of the People s Liberation Army Founded August 1, 1927 Service branches …   Wikipedia

  • People's Park — in Berkeley, California, USA is a park off Telegraph Avenue, bounded by Haste and Bowditch Streets and Dwight Way, near the University of California, Berkeley. The park was created during the radical political activism of the late 1960s. Today it …   Wikipedia

  • People's Republic — (rarely Popular Republic) is a title that is often used by Marxist Leninist governments to describe their state. The motivation for using this term lies in the claim that Marxist Leninists govern in accordance with the interests of the vast… …   Wikipedia

  • People of Praise — is a Christian ecumenical charismatic covenant community. It presently consists of 21 branches in the United States of America, Canada, and the Caribbean, with a total of approximately 3,000 [ as early as 1987, People of Praise consisted of some… …   Wikipedia

  • People Are People — Single par Depeche Mode extrait de l’album Some Great Reward Face A People Are People Face B In Your Memory Sortie 12 mars 1984 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • People Are People — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para el EP del mismo título, véase People Are People (EP). «People Are People» Sencillo de Depeche Mode del álbum Some Great Reward Lado B «In Your Memory» …   Wikipedia Español

  • People Nation — is an alliance of street gangs generally associated with the Chicago area. [http://www.gangwar.com/dynamics.htm Street Gang Dynamics ] ] They are rivals to the Folk Nation. The People Nation were formed much in the same way as the Folk Nation. In …   Wikipedia

  • People's Socialist Republic of Albania — Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë Satellite state of the Soviet Union (Until 1961) …   Wikipedia

  • People's democratic dictatorship — (simplified Chinese: 人民民主专政; traditional Chinese: 人民民主專政; pinyin: Rénmín Mínzhǔ Zhuānzhèng) is a phrase incorporated into the Constitution of the People s Republic of China by Mao Zedong.[1] The premise of the People s democratic dictatorship is… …   Wikipedia

  • People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison — The Hong Kong Garrison of the People s Liberation Army entering Hong Kong for the first time in 1997 Traditional Chinese 中國人民解放軍駐香港部隊 …   Wikipedia

  • People's Alliance for Democracy — Type Pressure group Political group Key people Sondhi Limthongkul Chamlong Srimuang Phiphob Thongchai Somsak Kosaisuuk Somkeit Pongpaibul Area served …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”