Culture

Togolese Guin tribe marks new year with Sacred Stone ceremony

Published

3 months ago

August 30, 2024

The Guin tribe of Togo on Thursday relived its ancient tradition with the annual Epé-Ekpé festival which ushers in the new year with its Sacred Stone ceremony.

The annual event, which takes place between late August and early September in Glidji, south-east Togo, saw thousands of the Guin people from home and abroad gathering to celebrate the festival.

The Guin people, who migrated from Ghana in the late XVIIth century, turned out wearing white clothes during the Epé-Ekpé festival otherwise called the Ekpé-sosso or the taking of the stone ceremony.

Speaking on the uniqueness of the festival, the Togbé (the traditional priest) said:

“It’s our new year, we ask peace and prosperity and our ancestors always grant us what we pray for. The blessing then rests upon the whole world, not only here in Togo.”

According to the Togbé, this year is the 361st edition of the ceremony which has a purification aspect, and it is still very close to the heart of the participants.

“Every year we hold this ceremony. The sacred stone was passed down to us from our ancestors. To us, it is a blessing, it is our strength. We must keep the tradition alive.”

Explaining further, he said the ceremony of the taking of the stone starts with a procession of priestess and priests. Songs and dances accompany the walk creating a festive and prayerful ambiance.

“The most anticipated moment is when the priest comes out of the forest with the sacred stone. There are stone with different colours which are interpreted as a message from the ancestors. This year’s stone is whitish, a good omen.”

A Guin native and journalist, Bruno Mensah also lent his voice to the unique festival.

“The stone sends a message, it urges us to unite and to forgive each other.

“It is very important to come to this sanctuary. This is our Mecca, our Rome, our Wailing Wall. As other people go on pilgrimage there, this is our pilgrimage site.”

A traditional priestess, Miano Edwige, also spoke on the traditional festival.

“Young women must refrain from any form of abortion. We must pay our debts and mostly cultivate a spirit of forgiveness.

“Tradition and spirituality meet whenever the Guin celebrate their new Year. The ceremony of the taking of the stone here in Glidji is more than a ritual, it is a moment of vibrant communion and reunion for the Guin people, and for the Togolese at large.”

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Culture

Tyla set to drop new single ‘Tears’ on November 20

Published

13 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African “Ampiona” crooner, Tyla, is set to thrill her fans to her new single titled, “Tears’, which is set to drop on November 20.

According to a statement by her management team, Tyla’s fans should expect something different from the “Water” singer as she is set to release a brand-new single in collaboration with Coke Studio.

“This exciting partnership follows her announcement as part of the Coke Studio 2024 line-up alongside R&B star Usher Raymond in September,” the statement said.

Tyla who is fondly called the “Pretty girl from Joburg,” also took to her Instagram page to share the news with her fans.

Posting a snippet of the video on her Instagram story with the caption, “‘Tears’ coming November 20th! A song in partnership with @CocaCola”, confirming the November release date, she urged her fans to look forward to something different from what they are used to.

The brand has also shared on its social media platforms that Tyla will be performing this highly-anticipated single when she returns to Johannesburg, South Africa, at a special Coke Studio live event.

In an interview with Coke Studio, the 22-year-old singer shared how she breaks away from her original sound with “Tears”.

“I feel like in a lot of my songs, I’m dancing a lot. I really wanted a song where I could just sing, be more raw with people, and showcase my voice this time,” she said.

Snippets from the new single has showcases Tyla’s enchanting vocals, revealing a more vulnerable side that is different from her previous work.

“Breaking away from the amapiano and pop sound she’s best known for, Tyla embarks on an exciting new journey with this project,” one of the reviews said.

“Through “Tears”, she wants to connect with listeners in a raw, captivating way as she partners with Coke Studio to bring this new sound to life.’

Culture

Moroccan court jails journalist 18 months over remarks about politician

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Moroccan court on Monday sentenced a journalist, Hamid Mahdaoui, to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of accusing a prominent politician of fraud, a verdict that has sparked international condemnation from press freedom advocates.

Mahdaoui’s case has garnered international criticism because he is being prosecuted under Morocco’s penal code rather than the press code governing journalistic conduct.

His attorney Mohamed Hedach, told journalists after the judgement that Mahdaoui who is the editor in chief of Badil.info, will serve a 1.5-year sentence and be fined an equivalent of $150,000 after being found guilty of defamation.

Mahdaoui was prosecuted after a complaint from Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi following a video posted on his website accusing Ouahbi of corruption and fraud, both of which the justice minister denied.

The accusations, according to media reports, came after the royalist Party of Authenticity and Modernity, which Ouahbi headed, became enmeshed in controversy last year when an imprisoned Malian drug dealer implicated party members in a sprawling drug trafficking case that shook the North African kingdom.

Reporters Without Borders’ North Africa representative Khaled Drareni had in October, called the prosection of the journalist a “misuse of the justice system to intimidate and silence the press.”

Mahdaoui was imprisoned in 2017 after publicly throwing his support behind activists who led protests over social and economic inequities. He was also sentenced to three years for not reporting to authorities that a Dutch Moroccan man had told him arms were being sent to the protesters. He later said he didn’t report it because he didn’t take the information seriously.

Morocco has in recent years been criticized for imprisoning journalists and activists known for criticizing the government. King Mohammed VI pardoned and released the country’s three most prominent imprisoned journalists — Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine and Soulaimane Raissouni — in July.