The sound of live music performance and the aroma of authentic Ghanaian cuisine welcomed the over 7000 guests who visited the Ghana Embassy, USA, on Saturday, May 4, 2019 to experience Ghana’s rich heritage and culture.
“Passport DC” was organized as part of the Cultural Tourism DC events that encourage embassies to open its doors to the residents of the Washington DC Metro area to enable them to explore the many cultures represented by the Diplomatic community in the district.
The year 2019 marks Ghana’s 11th year of participation and recorded the highest number of guests ever to visit the Ghana Embassy in a day. Ghana was a popular spot for the guests because of this year’s line-up of activities which featured live music by a local Ghanaian band known as 4EverFriends. For the Ghanaians present, the band created nostalgia with highlife tunes such as “Araba Lucy” to current hiplife songs by some of Ghana’s top artists. For guests, the music served as a sample of entertainment in the country.
Kwame Ansah Brew, a culture performer, drummer and historian also thrilled the crowd with his unique drumming abilities and engaged them in Ghanaian games among others. Ghana’s culture was uniquely displayed through a live sculpturing by Ken Gwira and the participation of vendors who showcased Ghanaian artifacts, accessories, and clothing.
The climax of the event was the appearance of Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah who interacted with guests and encouraged them to visit Ghana to experience more of its culture. The Ambassador also took photos with visitors at their request.
This year, however, participants from neighboring States including Pennsylvania and Delaware were among those who visited the Embassy. Ghana’s participation was strategic in promoting tourism to Ghana through cultural diplomacy.
Passport DC is a spring event aimed at sharing international cultures with residents of the local area.
Source: Angeline Addy, Embassy of Ghana, US.