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Damba: The festival that unites Northern Ghana
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Few festivals in Ghana carry the weight of history, colour, and unity like the Damba festival.
What began centuries ago as a religious commemoration has today blossomed into the largest cultural festival in Northern Ghana, celebrated across the Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, and Upper West regions.
From the palaces of Dagbon, Mamprugu, and Nanumba, Damba resonates with the sound of drums, praise-singers, and the spectacle of tradition.
Its significance has even transcended borders, drawing Ghanaians and foreign admirers to international editions held in Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The name Damba is rooted in the Dagbani language, though it appears in other tongues, Damma in Mampruli.
Observed in the third month of the Dagomba calendar, which coincides with Rabia al-Awwal in the Islamic calendar, Damba was originally celebrated to mark the birth and naming of Prophet Muhammad.
Over time, it has evolved into a grand festival celebrating chieftaincy, kinship, and the resilience of Ghana’s northern kingdoms.
The festival unfolds in three major stages that is Somo Damba, Naa Damba, and the grand Belkulsi or farewell procession. In the early days, the Yila Bohambu, or nightly musical rehearsals, fill the palaces with song.
Women of the royal courts lead these performances, keeping alive the traditional chants and rhythms that set the tone for the celebrations. The Somo Damba is a solemn time of prayer, drumming, and dignified dancing.
It is followed by the youthful exuberance of the Binchera Damba, where young men and women take to palace grounds in worn yet stylish smocks, showcasing creativity and spirit in a torn couture display.
Another revered rite, the Shinkaafa Gahimbu (picking of rice), sees clerics, led by the Yidan Moli at the Gbewaa Palace, offering symbolic rituals of blessing and prosperity.
The Nahu Glibu, or rounding of the cow, performed by chiefs, demonstrates wealth, unity, and the continuity of life. But it is the Naa Damba, the King’s Damba that truly crowns the festival.
Here, the atmosphere reaches its peak: chiefs ride majestically on horseback, praise-singers proclaim ancestral glories, and the air explodes with musketry from warriors, signalling strength, protection, and bravery.
One of the most breathtaking spectacles of Damba is the procession of the queens. Adorned in regal cloths and glittering ornaments, they gracefully carry golden-coloured bowls, abolition cans, utensils, sandals, and animal skins, the very seat and symbols of authority for the chiefs.
Each item tells a story, each step a reminder of the sacred duty queens play in preserving heritage and continuity.
Their slow, elegant movement is met with admiration from the gathered crowds, reinforcing the balance between royalty and community. No Damba is complete without the vibrant dances that fill the courtyards.
The housing dance, performed with synchronised grace, captures the essence of belonging, while the warriors’ displays, accompanied by fierce drumming and bursts of musketry in the skies is to celebrate resilience and courage.
These performances not only entertain but also remind communities of their history, values, and collective identity.
The festival’s climax, Belkulsi, bids farewell in a grand procession. Families exchange visits, gifts are shared, and friendships renewed.
Streets and palace grounds explode with colour, sound, and movement, leaving behind memories that last until the next Damba.
From Gonja, Dagbon, Mamprugu, Wali and Nanumba, Damba has remained a symbol of identity and unity.
Its international editions in Cologne, New York, and London highlight the festival’s growing role as a cultural ambassador, projecting Ghana’s northern traditions to the world stage.
Damba is a living archive of history, an affirmation of heritage, and a celebration of the bond between people and tradition.
In its rhythm, regalia, and rituals, one sees not only the past but also the promise of continuity for generations to come.
From Geoffrey Buta, Yendi
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News
President Mahama urges new Supreme Court Justices to uphold Constitution and judicial independence
President John Dramani Mahama has urged three newly sworn-in Justices of the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution and administer justice without fear or favour.
He said the authority of the Supreme Court depended on the confidence and trust of the Ghanaian people and, therefore, the new Justices must protect the rights of citizens and ensure that no individual or institution was above the law.
President Mahama made the call at the Presidency in Accra during the swearing-in ceremony of, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and Justice Anthony Forson Jr. as Justices of the Supreme Court.
Congratulating the three on their appointments, he said their new positions came with a major responsibility to strengthen Ghana’s constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
“The oath you have taken today is consequential, not ceremonial. It is a solemn covenant with the people of Ghana,” President Mahama stated.
He said Supreme Court Justices needed more than legal knowledge, noting that they must also demonstrate sound judgement, integrity, courage, patience and a strong commitment to justice.
President Mahama urged the new Justices to remain independent when handling cases involving strong public emotions or political interests.
He advised them not to be influenced by pressure, praise or criticism, but to allow the quality of their reasoning, fairness and loyalty to the Constitution to define their legacy.
The President called on the judiciary to continue with reforms aimed at improving the delivery of justice.
He said prolonged cases, unnecessary adjournments and delays in delivering judgments created hardship for ordinary citizens and could undermine public confidence in the justice system.
President Mahama, therefore, urged the judiciary to embrace appropriate technology and improve the accessibility and efficiency of the courts.
He called for Supreme Court judgments to be written in clear language to provide reliable guidance to lower courts, public institutions, lawyers and citizens.
President Mahama described Justice Bernasko Essah as an experienced judicial officer whose service at the Court of Appeal would bring valuable experience to the Supreme Court.
He noted that Justice Asante brought both national and regional judicial experience, having served on the Court of Appeal and as a former President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
According to him, Justice Asante’s experience in regional integration, human rights and international law would enrich the work of the Supreme Court.
On Justice Forson, President Mahama said his decades of experience in private legal practice and his former leadership of the Ghana Bar Association would bring an important perspective to the Court.
He said his experience of representing citizens, businesses and institutions before the courts could help the Supreme Court better understand how legal decisions affect ordinary people.
Speaking on behalf of the three Justices, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the confidence reposed in them.
She pledged that the three would hear cases fairly, decide according to the law, act with courage and integrity, and remain faithful to the Constitution and the oaths they had sworn.
The three Justices were administered the Oath of Allegiance, Judicial Oath and Oath of Secrecy by President Mahama before receiving their warrants of appointment.
By: Jacob Aggrey
When international journalist Enoch Worlanyo first described Alpine, Texas, as “The Eden of the Far West,” he meant it as a love letter. This week, that love letter was returned.
Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves recently referenced Worlanyo’s feature story in her own vision for the high-desert town — a gesture that has sparked a transatlantic moment of pride from the heart of West Africa to the heart of Far West Texas.
Nestled 4,475 feet above sea level in the Big Bend, Alpine is no ordinary small town. It is the gateway to Big Bend National Park, the cultural capital of the Davis Mountains, and critically — the beating heart of the world’s largest Gold Tier International Dark Sky Reserve. Here, the Milky Way doesn’t just appear. It blazes.
Worlanyo, reporting from Accra, has been following Alpine’s evolution closely — its preservation of dark skies, its downtown renaissance, and its unique cast of community builders, including Denver-based pitmaster and former Alpine favourite Annie Yayra Hiamey of Desert Delight.
WHY THE WORLD IS LOOKING WEST:
The Dark Sky Sanctuary: In an era of light pollution, Alpine offers something vanishingly rare — crystalline, protected night skies where thousands of stars, planets and the river of the Milky Way are visible to the naked eye. A true pilgrimage for astro-tourists.
Heritage Meets Hospitality: Beyond the skies, it’s the people. A historic downtown, thriving arts scene, and genuine West Texas warmth that makes strangers feel like neighbours.
The Ultimate Basecamp: From Marfa’s mystery lights to the trails of Big Bend and the peaks of the Davis Mountains, Alpine is the centre of it all.
A message of gratitude from Accra
Reflecting on Mayor Eaves’ acknowledgement, Worlanyo said:
“Seeing Mayor Eaves reference my description of Alpine as ‘The Eden of the Far West’ brought a wave of warmth straight from Texas to Accra. I am deeply honoured and humbled — thank you, Madam Mayor, for that thoughtful nod.
“My work may be based in Accra, Ghana, but a piece of my heart never left Alpine. I follow every story, every milestone, every starry night you share. Distance has not faded the connection.
“There is a pure, untamed magic to Alpine that you cannot find anywhere else on Earth. By day, endless horizons that cleanse the soul. By night, a sky so alive it feels like you can touch eternity. It is truly a sanctuary.
“So this is my invitation to every traveller, dreamer, and stargazer reading this: Pack your bags and head west. Come experience the warmth, stand under a sky ablaze with stars, and discover for yourself why Alpine steals every heart that finds it.”
About Enoch Worlanyo
Enoch Worlanyo is an Accra-based international broadcast journalist, Head of Sports at Asempa FM, Adom FM, and Adom TV, covering sports, cultural heritage, environmental conservation, and global tourism.
His work bridges continents, telling African stories to the world and bringing the world’s hidden Edens back home.
CAPTION
Enoch Worlanyo
