Reliving InterCo through Old School Gyama Songs

I know I'm always going on and on about how I didn't enjoy secondary school, and how I wish I'd gotten so much more out of the experience. But there is one aspect of life in secondary school that I can't get over. That I absolutely loved, and that I keep remembering.

InterCo.
Back in the day, I was an athlete. Not a fantastic athlete but an athlete nonetheless. Which means I got to go to all the InterCo, and Super-Zonals and Regionals. I even got to go to GSTS one time and saw my oldest friend, Acidic. Best fun ever.

One of the great things about InterCo is that it came with the chance to see the Cape school boys. Adisco, Augusco, Kwabotwe and all the others. Which was awesome. I mean, which Gey Hey girl didn't want to see boys!? Even if they were only chop-box boys as we used to call them in those days. My fondest memory of those times is of abandoning the Gey Hey squad to go shee gyama with the Augusco boys. Gosh, what fun!

I remember feeling so gbesh all dressed up in the athletic jerseys, powdered faces, reeking of cheap perfume, and scarfing my hair with bandanas from Kwabotwe. In 1999, bandanas were the in thing. If a guy wanted to speak with a girl, all he had to do was offer a bandana. I had Kwabotwe, Augusco and Adisco bandanas but I loved to wear the Kwabotwe one the best because together with the yellow and green from Gey Hey, it was like being draped with our national colors.

Now a big part of InterCo is the gyama that goes with it. And I wasn't part of the gyama squad (yes, people, Gey Hey had a gyama squad), but I was always excited to join in the fun.

Even had favorites. So here are two of my favorites.

1.
What a mighty school gey hey
What a mighty school gey hey
Holy bow before us
Kwabotwe adore us
What a mighty school gey hey
2.
Augusco w'a we o
Augusco w'a we o
Kwabotwe w'edi first
Adisco w'edi second
Augusco w'awe o
Here's the translation for the non-twi speakers.
Augusco placed last
Augusco placed last
Kwabotwe placed first
Adisco placed second
Augusco placed last.
I know y'all are dying to come out with your InterCo stories and favorite gyama songs and how Motowners pose like they're dadabee and all, so go crazy! *rubs hands in glee*

Adisco, you there? Augusco, Odadees, Accra Aca, Rosec, HolyCo, ManSite, Abugiss, Mowtown, Pojoss, Amanfoo, Labone, RONEDROSS, Kwabotwe, St Louis, Opoku Ware, GSTS, Swesco, Winnesec, Apam Secondary, Likpe Secondary, Fiasec, Bogoso Secondary, Kumasi High, HotCass, Ketasco, Tadisco, Mawuli, St Francis Xavier, Petersco, HEPPS, BIHECO, St. Pauls, Kimbu, Agiss, Merries, Gey Hey, Akosec, Porter Girls, Ola, SOS-HGIC, Tarsco, GIS, Tamasco, Lincoln, St Johns, Osu Presec, Ghanass, Wenchi Secondary, Koforidua Sec Tech, O'Reilly, Where you at? Come out with your Gyama!

ps: Is it true that in Motown, only the kamkpe girls did athletics? Like say, dadabee girls would never run or play hockey or so anything physical? Ei peoples!

http://times.fienipa.com/content/reliving-interco-through-old-school-gyama-songs

Esi Woarabae Cleland is a copywriter at Publicis Ghana.

She regularly blogs at www.maameous.com and can be
reached at [email protected]