Some 1k Masqueraders join about 3k people in Tema for AfroXmas 2020
On Christmas day, Tema was lit with bright colors of masqueraders as 12 different masquerade groups gathered for the AfroXmas 2020, the biggest masquerade carnival in Tema, located in the Greater Accra region, home to Ghana’s capital.
With thousands of people gathering for the carnival, the city of Takoradi in Ghana’s western region [also a port city like Tema known for being big-time into masquerades] just might have stiff competition from AfroXmas.
SyPhics Studios in partnership with 4syte TV and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) made all this possible. This edition of AfroXmas appropriately held under the theme #MaskedUp in alignment with COVID-19 was graced with top music acts in the country and had other side attractions.
CEO of SyPhics, Benjamin Swanzy Kwesi shared the inspiration behind the annual AfroXmas carnival and why his team chose Tema as host city.
“We are trying to be consistent with this annual event to showcase not just Tema, but Ghana as a whole to the rest of the world through the masquerade culture. It has been a very tough year for everyone due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we wanted this year’s festival to ease the stress on people and create a perfect fun environment for us all” — Swanzy.
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He added that: “we see the efforts of these various groups spread across Tema and this year happens to be the 20th anniversary of the Unity Fancy Club (UFC) who are based in community 1. So it was a great idea to bring it to their home. 12 other masquerade clubs joined UFC and I must say myself and all the other organizers and partners have been pleasantly surprised by this success of this year’s event.”
There were security measures taken to safeguard the event and an ambulance on standby at the event grounds. “Fortunately there was no need to keep our TMA, security, and ambulance guys too busy because this was a smooth event. People were simply there to have fun, make friends and respect the safety of all. We loved seeing the kids have so much fun,” according to Ahmed Abdul-Rasheed known in Tema as General Tombo.
Some masqueraders and stilt walkers shared their excitement about the event, urging Ghanaians to be safe in these times and remain peaceful. Majority of the music was provided by brass band groups. Get more updates about the event from the official Instagram page on Twitter and Instagram — @AfroXmas.
Watch video highlights from the event below
Source: SvtvAfrica.com / TheAfricanDream.net
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
