The Hogbetsotso festival ''(pronounced Hogbechocho)'' is celebrated by the chiefs and people of

Anlo The Anlo Ewe are a sub-group of the Ewe people of approximately 6 million people, inhabiting southern Togo, southern Benin, southwest Nigeria, and south-eastern parts of the Volta Region of Ghana; meanwhile, a majority of Ewe are located in the ...

in the

Volta region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-et ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. Some major Anlo towns include Anloga (capital), Keta, Kedzi, Vodza, Whuti, Srogboe, Tegbi, Dzita, Abor, Afiadenyigba, Anyako, Konu, Alakple, Atsito , Atiavi, Deʋegodo, Atorkor, Tsiame and many other villages. The festival is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in the month of November at Anloga which is the customary and ritual capital of the Anlo state. The name of the festival is derived from the

Ewe language Ewe (''Eʋe'' or ''Eʋegbe'' ) is a language spoken by approximately 20 million people in West Africa, mainly in Ghana, Togo and Benin, and also in some other countries like Liberia and southwestern Nigeria. Ewe is part of a cluster of related ...

and translates as, ''the festival of exodus''. or "coming from Hogbe ( Notsie)". The celebration of the festival was instituted about four decades ago.

History

The

is a group of people from a tribe on the eastern coast of Ghana. Prior to their settling in their present location, they lived in Notsie, a town in present-day

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

. It is believed that they had migrated from southern

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

through Oyo area in Nigeria, Ketou in Benin , Adja Tado in Togo to settle in Notsie. Oral tradition has it that they lived under a wicked king,

Togbe Agorkoli Togbe Agorkoli ( Eʋegbe: Togbe Agɔ Akɔli) was the mythical ruler of Notsie, a town in modern Togo. During his rule, the Ewe peoples in what are now Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in ...

( Agor Akorli), and in order to escape his tyrannical rule they had to create a hole in the mud wall that surrounded their town. They achieved this by instructing the women to pour all their wastewater on one particular place in the wall. Over time the spot became soft, thereby allowing the townspeople to break through the wall and escape. Tradition also holds that, to avoid pursuit and make good their escape, they walked backward with their faces towards the town so that their footprints appeared to be going into the town.

The celebration

Various ceremonies are held during the festival. They include a peace-making period in which all disputes are ended with the finding of an amicable solution. It is believed that the reason for this traditional period of peacemaking is that the people believe their ancestors lived in harmony with themselves all through their escape from Notsie and that it was this character that made their sojourn a success. There is also a purification ceremony of the ceremonial stools (where the Ewe believe the ancestral spirits reside) through the pouring of libations. This is followed by general cleaning where all the villages are swept and rubbish burnt. This cleaning ceremony starts at the

Volta River The Volta River is the main river system in the West African country of Ghana. It flows south into Ghana from the Bobo-Dioulasso highlands of Burkina Faso. The main parts of the river are the Black Volta, the White Volta, and the Red Volta. In ...

and ends after several days at the Mono River in the Republic of Togo. The climax of the festival involves a durbar of the chiefs and people of Anlo. The chiefs dress in colourful

regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereign ...

/ kente and receive homage from their subjects at the durbar grounds. Various forms of dancing, singing and merry-making characterize the entire festival.

The Agbadza

The

Agbadza Agbadza is an Ewe music and dance that evolved from the times of war into a very popular recreational dance. It came from a very old war dance called Atrikpui and usually performed by the Ewe people of the Volta Region of Ghana, particularly du ...

originally a war dance in imitation of birds in flight and formerly known as atrikpui, is the traditional dance of the people of

which is performed vigorously during the grand durbar of the Hogbetsotso festival. It is a way of expressing joy to their ancestors and gods.

can be performed anywhere, at parties, funerals and at naming ceremonies. In this modern age, anyone from any tribe can perform the Agbadza dance regardless. Another example of Ewe dances is the borborbor dance.

Today

The 2019 Hogbetsotso festival was attended by some dignitaries including two Ghanaian Ex-Presidents, Jerry John Rawlings, and John Dramani Mahama. The 2019 festival was with the theme, "Uniting Anlo through its value for the benefits of its citizens and the nation at large".

References

{{reflist, 2 13 Felix Kuadugah - contributor, Ewe migration. History of Agbadza. Festivals in Ghana Volta Region