The Symbolism Of Colours The Tourist Perspective By The Enthno-Psychology And Anthropology View From Upper West Region

The Upper West Region in perspectives talks on the symbolism of colours as a guide to integrating tourists into the Ghanaian society views collected from the Dagaaba ethno-psychology and anthropologies in the region. The story is told on two folds, one to guide tourists and people who might want to have a first bit of the region’s hospitality cake and be well integrated into the cultural streams of the region.This will first start with an introduction to the regions and what it is made up of as it is glorified with many tourist features and other related tourist attractions and siteswith special interest in their cloth culture-the smock.

The write up will talk of two things likely to help the tourists co-exist peaceful with the people and their culture and linking up the region to the rest of the world. One is to provide an essential platform for tourists and the rest of the world to have an insight into the region and inclusively that ofits physical, natural andcultural geography for a better appreciationand understandingof what the region stands for and the importance attached tocolours where cloth culture is concern.

Upper West Region has quite a number of natural attractions and featuresthat can be the basis for any eco-tourism development which can be supported by its natural tropical climate that runs through the year all rounds with warm temperatures and enough sunshine good for sun seekers and can still be a good source for solarpower generation to end up the don-sour problem in this country. For the envisage economic benefits likely to accrue from projecting the regions tourism potentials, despite its abundant historical legacies and rich traditional cultural heritage sites in the region, the region is in deficit of publicity and inadequacy of modern hospitality facilities that left these sites underutilised and un-open to the rest of the regions and the world.

The warm temperaturealone first welcome you to the region with drier climate but very cool during December to February every year around and good for those living in high temperature zones.The region is photogenic and a strikingsavannah zone that gives the people a feeling of complete ancient simplicity that every upper western would not want to miss during December festivities. So peaceful and heavily populated by pleasant farming communities branded with an alluring diversity of ethnics tribes that co-habited peacefully and accepts each other’s cultural practises and views.This is what tourists and visitors to the region should expect to see and experience.

However, this defines the Upper West Region with its diversities of ethnic tribes, the Dagaaba, Sisaala and the Walaa. Strangely enough,this assortmenthas made it convenient for a distinctive amalgamation despite the difference in their cultural ways of life. Veryfriendliest, very cheerful and communicative with great respect for their traditional beliefs systems.

These beliefs can easily be seen in the variety of their sparkling festivals, funerals performances in their traditional set ups and during durbar of chiefs.Identifying the colours and what they stand for in smock will set the parameters for the reasons why certain colours are not proper to wear during certain occasions in the north. In generally smocks of all kinds and sizes are produced in the north with difference colours, differences meanings attached to the wearer dependent on the occasion though it serves as royal attire as well.

However, it can sometimes be misconstrued for an offence when the right colour is not wormed at the right time and at certain ceremonies. It is on this note that tourists and visitors to the region need the assistance of tour guides to lead them blindly through the darkness to light. Sometimes it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable when everybody is wearing white at a naming ceremony one is wearing black or red. Tourists should take a clue from this.

Generally, northerners cherished smocks most and use them as prestigiously as royal attire. Some amount of air of opulence and sagacity characterizes the sleeved smock of any sort and it is most admired by all if it is hand woven with calculated guiders around the waist. It has a noble outlook and touch, and dignifies the wearer with an unmistakable ethnic identity.

The smock is best admired in festive moods like at the durbar of chiefs, political gathering and at traditional gatherings. Smocks are basically male and female designed to be worn by chiefs, elders and the noble in society. Until recently, the smock was the preserve of only men, with women wearing the material as cloth and put on as African dress. The texture and type of smock worn by the commoners could quite be distinguished since they were of a smaller size and of lower quality. In Dagare language the smock is called Dagakparu while the women version is called Pog-Dagakparu meaningDagarti woman’s shirt respectively.

The female smocks have the usual sac-style with a big pocket on the chest, designed with feminine features to expose their beauty and charm as they wear them. The space in front of the pocket down to the navel is adorned with the usual smock designs. The style is most often sleeveless and covers up to the kneel level. There is always a head tie of the same material to match this elaborate design.

Men’s smocks can either be sleeveless or sleeved. Smocks, can be in the traditional weaving and sewing way or with the highly modernized designs and patterns in line with present day experimentation by the educated indigenous of the Upper West region of Ghana. The quality depends on the personality and the colours in question.

Perhaps understanding the colours we wear is a sure way of integrating and a sign of welcoming the tourist into the society. According to Dagaare ethno-psychology and anthropology redcolour smock ora red hat distinguishes the wearers from the boys. Red signifies blood, caution, danger and other alarming signals. It also denotes an outgoing personality, strange happenings or a sign of alarm.

Orange signifies riches while Yellow which is also the colour of dawadawa fruit stands for joy and wealth. Blue according to tradition is an indication of heavy rains. White is the colour of purity and departed souls who believed to be seen in that colour re-visiting their communities or homes. In some communities wearing white in the night especially mid night is still a sacrilege.

Indigo colour is taken for thick clouds while the Wala people call the violet colour as “Muoni”. This is the dress colour of the Wala nobility. The Dagaaba and some tribes associate brown colour with the soil or earth and regard it as mystery, fear, death, evil or the unknownand care must be taken not to wear the wrong colour to an occasion as it makes you odd amongst people.

Darkness is thought to resemble black, while green is the colour associated with crops, serenity and life. Black smocks are not very good for weddings, outdooring’s or occasions that are associated with happiness and joy.The type of smock and colour worn is depicted by the situation the wearer finds she or himself.White is the colour of purity of heart and sometimes linked up with departed souls who believed to be seen in that colour re-visiting their communities or homes.

And this cannot be challenged because it is a cultural believes system and so much is dependent on your culturalfaith. Some clans or tribesuse only white materials to burytheir corpses and expect to see them returning home in same colour within the fortieth day period and these are stories intentional told in folk stories to keep their cultural believe alive among generations yet unborn. In such communities one can easily be mistaken for a ghost in the night if found to be wearing white mid night.

The weaving and production of smocks is been sustained in the Northern part of the country because of the available of raw material – cotton, which is produced on large scale in the northern sector of the country. Women are also contributory to the smock industry through their spinning of cotton to produce good yarns for the industries.The cost of producing smocks is low with a high technology and superb output. There is virtually no need to import any heavy machinery to produce smocks in the North since everything can be done manually for excellent results.

These industries apart from producing costumes and traditional dresses also offer employment to a sizeable number of young men in the three northern regions of Ghana. The smocks have very great significance in the country. They are used for grand durbars, church services, funerals and other serious occasions. They are outstanding in quality and quantity and can serve as a foreign exchange earner to meet the national call for concentration on the non-traditional export sector.

Abundant smock production will certainly maximize profit for their Ghanaian economy. Smocks highly regarded and positioned well in this country and in our neighbouring countries Burkina Faso and Togo as royal attire. It is national attire and it is highly been patronised by both men and women including the present and former presidents of Ghana. This was much more pronounced during the PNDC, NDC or the Rawling’s regime. This fact was amply demonstrated when the first president of Ghana OsagyefoDr. Kwame Nkrumah, Gbedemah and other top statesmen wore smocks when they declared Ghana’s independence on 6th March 1957.