Day 10 - Gold, Kente, and Rhymes

 Hello everyone!! 

We are over half way through our trip! After a great breakfast we started our second Tuesday with a visit to the Manhyia palace, formerly the home of many of the Asantehennes (Kings) of the Ashanti region. Here we learned more about the Ashanti region's culture and history including many battles with Britain, the roles of the people involved in the processions of the Asantehenne, and the roles of the King and Queen in the community. We also got to see 32 pieces of Ashanti gold that are currently on loan from Britain in the museum - only a small fraction of the thousands of items the British raided and still have in their possession. 



Enroute to the Kejeti Market, we had a quick introduction on the bus to the meanings of our Ghanaian names. In Ghana, each day of the week has both a male and female name that Ghanaians call each other based on what day of the week they were born. (My name is Abena Katie because I was born on a Tuesday).


Upon arrival at the Kejeti Market, we split into three groups led by SIT staff to explore the market and shop. The Kejeti market is the largest market in Western Africa and is largely made up of small vendors crammed next to each other. The market included a variety of things such as clothes, jewelry, food, and miscellaneous items like toothpaste. Some bartered with vendors to purchase items such as purses, bracelets, waste beads, fabric, peanut butter, and spices. 




After shopping, we stopped for lunch and frozen yogurt and then headed to the outskirts of Kumasi to learn about Kente cloth. During the bus ride, we were taught - and struggled through - singing/humming a war song in the native Twi language. The Kente cloth village was a really interesting site visit and reinforced what we had previously learned about the importance of Kente cloth at the Manhiya Palace museum. We learned about the origin of Kente cloth weavers, watched weavers braid fabrics, and a few of us even got to dress in the traditional cloth! Ria and Kiran both volunteered to learn how to weave Kente cloth. They used their feet to pull a string that separated the strands of yarn on the machine, inserted a new spool of thread between the spilt threads, and then beat it down into the knitted creation. They repeated the process to build the beautiful cloth. After demonstrations and attempts, we again shopped and bartered with the shop keeper, many of us getting stunning fabrics! 






We traveled back to our hotel for dinner. This bus ride was filled with ChatGPT-generated rap lyrics depicting our thoughts on Kumasi (one featured below). 


After dinner we all headed to bed to pack up and get some rest before waking up early to travel to Cape Coast. It was a long and tiring day to finish off our visit to Kumasi. We are all looking forward to more adventures to come! 


Katie 


(Verse 1)
Yo, welcome to Kumasi, the heartbeat of Ashanti,
Where the culture runs deep, and the vibes so fancy.
Golden city streets where the hustle don’t sleep,
In the land of the Kente, history to keep.

From the Kejetia market, where the deals so fire,
To the Manhyia Palace, where the chiefs inspire.
Legends in the air, you can feel it when you breathe,
The spirit of the people, yeah, they never concede.

(Chorus)
Kumasi, city of kings and queens,
Where the golden sun lights up the dreams.
Rich with tradition, the rhythm, the pride,
Kumasi, forever you’ll shine worldwide.

(Verse 2)
Yo, the Bantama nights, got the city alive,
With the drums and the beats, man, the energy thrives.
Adinkra symbols tell stories untold,
Every corner you turn, there’s a treasure of gold.

Garden City roots, where the flowers bloom bright,
Unity and strength, yeah, we’re holding it tight.
From Suame to Asafo, the culture connects,
Kumasi stands tall, always earning respect.

(Chorus)
Kumasi, city of kings and queens,
Where the golden sun lights up the dreams.
Rich with tradition, the rhythm, the pride,
Kumasi, forever you’ll shine worldwide.

(Bridge)
Yo, shoutout to the youth, building futures to last,
Mixing modern and the roots, linking present to past.
With the energy to grow, and the passion to lead,
Kumasi’s the proof that the world can succeed.

(Outro)
So here’s to Kumasi, the city I love,
Guided by the ancestors watching from above.
From the Ashanti heartland, where the stories are made,
Kumasi’s the crown that will never fade.

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