The Ghana Tourism Authority is partnering the Edina Traditional Council for the celebration of this year’s Bakatue Festival which started yesterday Tuesday July 3 and will end on July 7, 2018.
Bakatue is the major festival of the chiefs and people of Edina (Elmina) Traditional area, a geographical stool land more appropriately referred to as “EDINAMAN”.
This year’s Bakatue which is already in session, will see several performances. As part of the festival, a National Regatta would be held with six groups of fishing communities competing amongst themselves. Special prizes will be presented to the winners and runners-up for the event on Saturday, 7th July at a Grand Durbar of chiefs and people of Elmina at the forecourt of the Elmina Castle.
The Chief of Staff, Hon. Frema Osei Opare, is the Special Guest of Honour for the festival, amongst other dignitaries which including government functionaries.
Togbe Afede XIV, President of the National House of Chiefs and the Paramount Chief of Asogli State is the Special Guest of Honour for the Grand Durbar with the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku, the Guest of Honour for both the Bakatue and the Durbar of Chiefs.
Bakatue falls on the first Tuesday of July (the month of Ayewoho) each year. It is celebrated in honour of the founder (Akwaa Amankwah) of the central town, Elmina, the headquarters of the Edina Traditional Area.
The mystical significance of the festival is that it invokes fertility, abundance of food and fish as well as good health, happy marriages and worthy children. The festival also brings the sons and daughters of Edina together in a very unique way as it has a sacred uplifting of hearts.
