Celebrating Kente

The recent stream of advertisements and a hot topic in the Ghanaian community on the upcoming event in Toronto dubbed Kente Dance made me to write this brief essay on Kente. I have been fond of Kente since my elementary school days. As a 7-year-old boy I could not fathom how treads were weaved into such a complex designs. As I grew older many facets of the weaving processes became a daily obsession as I struggled to understand the weaving intricacies employed by the Artisans. Its cultural symbolism intrigued me. I watched with a childhood curiosity many cultural events where Kings and Queens, Chiefs and Queen mothers displayed their Kente cloths and dresses elegantly. I was elated when I first wore a Kente cloth at my First Speech Day at Saint Augustine's College. I made sure that I took a picture by the best photographer who came to the school on such occasions and on weekends. I have cherished this picture since and its significance and emotions have not weaned a bit for almost 40 years. I have pieced together information on Kente gathered from some internet sources and I will attempt to make this write-up a source that describes Kente- its cultural significance and history.

The kente cloth originates from Bonwire a well-knitted town, fourteen kilometers from Kumasi in the Asante Kingdom of Ghana. Two ancestors, Otaa Kraban and Kuragu Ameyaw who were born and raised at Bonwire, created it. They both belonged to the chief's family Oyoko clan, natively known as Oyokoman. They played together, and did many other important things together. One occasion, in Hamattan season when they went to farm, they saw a huge spider (ananse) weaving its web on the cropland. They did like the spider's accomplishment so they watched it silently for a considerable length of time. The next day, they both went to the same location and observed the spider again weaving the web. They observed it for couple of days until they knew how the spider made the web. They thought of making cloth in the same way so they started to weave the first cloth in the underbrush without telling anybody in the town until they had finished weaving the entire cloth. The two men named the first kente cloth Oyokoman, their royal clan. It was artistic fabric designed with affluent colors and compassionate texture. Soon afterward, they showed the newly woven kente cloth to Nana Bobie Ansa, the chief of Bonwire at that time. The chief was thrilled with the work so he urged the two friends to come and weave for him. They were so obliged to hear the chief's request so they created a metaphorical, and most prestigious cloth exclusively for their chief. The latter told the then Asantehene, Nana Osei Tutu what his two royal family members had done and he gave the cloth to him. In the past, kente cloths were worn only by very important personalities such as Bonwirehene and Asantehene. These days, it is a very popular symbol in Ghanaian parliament and court decorations. Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah used the kente very extensively to represent Ghana's in the area of costume. The Asantehene wears kente cloth, sits on a ceremonial Asante Royal Stool and assumes political authority at Akwasidae. The original Golden Stool (Sika Dwa) is still there and alive at Manhyia Palace, the ceremonial residence of Asantehene, in Kumase. The birth-name of the Golden Stool is “Sika Dwa Kofi” because it was descended from the heavens to earth on Friday by Okomfo Anokye. Anokye was a good friend of Otumfuo Osei Tutu I, the founder of Asante Empire after the former helped the Asante Kingdom to restore their political and strategic position shortly after the fall of Asante Empire. It was then that Okomfo Anokye called upon King Osei Tutu, chiefs, and sub-chiefs of Asante of whom most of them wore their brightly colored kente cloths for the durbar at which Anokye commanded the “Sika Dwa Kofi” down from the heavens. The Stool is fabricated of real gold and belonged to Otumfuo Osei Tutu I, the patron of Asante Kingdom. The Sika Dwa contains the souls and powers of all Asante people. The ROYAL STOOL and KENTE are inexplicable linked together and are important attraction of Akan culture. From the time of creation of kente, it is used in naming ceremony, funeral, wedding, durbar and festival. Kente is a ceremonial cloth among the Ghanaians, especially Asantes. It is used on joyful occasions. The rectangle in the kente cloth depicts the territorial power of a male ruler and the zigzag stands for prudence and the application of political wisdom of the Asante people. The most popular design is the adwinasa, which means verbatim that the artist's skill is exhausted. There are other significant kente names, which have contributed to the culture and legacy of Ghanaians. Among the newly names include Otumfuo, Epiakyi, Breguo yeya, Sikafrebogya, Ohene-aforo-hyen, Adwini-si-adwini-so, Sikafuturo, Mampong hemaa, and M'aso dae.

Traditionally, kente is mainly woven by the Asante and the Ewe tribes of Ghana. The Asante kente is woven in villages just outside Kumasi in the area around Bonwire and Ntonso. Kente is also woven by the Ewe in the Volta Region around Kpetoe, Denu, Wheta and Agbozume.

Kente is a cloth hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom. Strips measuring about 4 inches wide are sewn together into larger pieces of cloths. Cloths come in various colors, sizes and designs and are worn during very important social and religious occasions. In a total cultural context, kente is more important than just a cloth. It is a visual representation of history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, moral values, social code of conduct, religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles.

The term kente has its roots in the word kenten, which means “basket”. The first kente weavers used raffia fibers to weave cloths that looked like kenten and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma; meaning “basket cloth”. The original Asante name of the cloth was nsaduaso or nwontoma meaning “a cloth hand-woven on a loom” and is still used today by Asante weavers and elders. However, the term kente is the most popularly used today, in and outside Ghana. Many variations of narrow-strip cloths, similar to kente are woven by various ethnic groups in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. Historically, kente was the cloth of kings. The king (asantehene) controlled the use and production of kente—whether for his household, officials or political allies. Over time, the use of kente became more widespread. Unlike the royal family, however, an individual who owns kente today most likely owns one cloth that is worn on multiple occasions. Kente is comparable to an evening gown or tuxedo in Western cultures. When kente is proudly worn or used on ceremonial occasions, it brings honor and prestige to the proceedings.

You are attending a family wedding and decide to wear a kente named sika fre mogya (“money attracts blood”), which means if you are wealthy your relatives will flock to you. By wearing this cloth, you are stating that your relative is hard working and has the means to support his new family.

As a member of the Oyoko family, you have been invited to attend the installation ceremony of a chief of another family. In honor of the occasion, you wear a Oyokoman ogya da mu, which means “there is fire (crisis) in the Oyoko nation.” You are conveying to the new chief that he should be prudent in using his power.

Agoo Magazine has adorned many pages of its publications with Kente fashion, and cultural and social events. Agoo magazine can proudly claim to be the best African fashion and socialites' magazine. It is the source for Kente fashion enthusiasts.

Agoo Magazine is celebrating Kente in Toronto, Canada in bash dubbed Kente Dance on September 4, 2005 at the famous Luna Ballroom. Agoo executives and camera crew will be there to take photos for exclusive pages in the following issue. Agoo's publishers hope that this Kente Dance will showcase the enviable Ghanaian culture to all the citizens of Canada. Would-be-attendees are advised to come to the occasion in their Kente dresses and cloths. This talk of the town event has brought Kente exporters brisk business and they are making sure that they fill their customers orders on time. I hope Agoo will make this noble undertaking a cultural and social event in a different city every year. I tip my hat to the organizers- Osei Ntansah and Henry Adarkwah- for organizing the Toronto Kente Dance and for their innovative idea of coming up with such an event to promote our national symbol, Kente.