The story behind Ghana’s Fancy Dress Carnival

Ghana’s Fancy Dress Carnival has a deep history that is rooted in both local and international practices. It can be traced back to the 1950s, when President Kwame Nkrumah’s administration began promoting a Fancy-Dress Masquerade competition on New Year’s Day in Winneba. The competition has been held annually since 1958.

Here are some other details about Ghana’s Carnival:

Masquerades: Masqueraders parade through town in old costumes for Christmas to raise funds for the New Year’s Day competition. The day after the competition, they parade again in their new costumes.

Brass bands: Brass bands play popular tunes in a blues or highlife style.

Fancy Dress groups: One of the first Fancy Dress groups was founded by A. W. Yamoah, who imported masks and brass instruments. The group was called Red Cross or Number Four, and was made up of the town elite.

Carnival celebrations often have roots in rebellion against enslavement. The word “Carnival” comes from the pre-emancipation ritual of Cannes Brulees, which was performed on sugar plantations in the 17th–19th centuries. During Cannes Brulees, enslaved Africans would set fire to sugar cane, an act of rebellion against plantation slavery. (Wodemaya)