Cape Coast is the capital of the Cape Coast Metropolitan District and the Central Region of Ghana. It is located in the southwestern part of Ghana and has a population of 189,925 people. The town lies on a low promontory jutting into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the biggest fishing towns in Ghana.

Cape Coast, traditionally called Oguaa, is a town that grew up around Cape Coast Castle, originally called ‘Cabo Corso’ (literally meaning ‘short cape’), a name given by the Portuguese who first arrived at the shores in the 15th century. The town used to be a trading post for the Portuguese colonies, who engaged in barter trading with the local Africans. However, in 1664, the British conquered the Portuguese and took over Cabo Corso, which then became the seat of the colonial Government of the British Gold Coast and automatically became the commercial and administrative capital of the Gold Coast until 1877, when the capital moved to Accra.

Cape Coast began to decline in the early 1900s when railways were built from Sekondi and Accra inland to Kumasi, and a new port was opened in Tema in 1962. Even though the town lost its potential as the capital city of Ghana, it later emerged as one of the country’s most historic cities with many historical sites to boast of today. The remains of colonization and the Transatlantic slave trade have made Cape Coast a unique place among other historical towns in Ghana and across Africa. This old town has attracted many foreigners from around the world, such as President Barack Obama and his First Lady Michelle Obama, Steve Harvey, and Ja Rule, among others, to visit and explore these historical sites and its unique people. These tourists usually visit Cape Coast and Elmina Castle to connect with their ancestors who were enslaved. However, there are other tourist places like Kakum National Park, the Fort William lighthouse built in 1820 (active from 1835 to the 1970s), Fort Victoria built in 1702, St. Francis Cathedral, the first Catholic Cathedral built in Ghana in 1928, the crab statue (the city’s mascot) in the center of the city popularly known as ‘London bridge,’ the harbor view at Elmina Castle, and the Arch Bridge.

The city has also retained its importance as an educational center and boasts several secondary schools such as Mfantsipim Senior High, Adisadel College, Aggrey Memorial, Wesley Girls High, Holy Child Senior High, and the University of Cape Coast, which was founded in 1962. These schools have produced great leaders and prominent people in our country today. For instance, Kofi Annan, a former UN general secretary, attended Mfanstipim from 1954–1957; Georgina Theodora Wood, the first female Chief Justice of Ghana, is an alumna of Wesley Girls High School; and Thomas Mensah, a Ghanaian-American Chemical Engineer known for his contributions to the development of fiber optic manufacturing and nanotechnology, attended Adisadel College.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE

Oguaa, which literally means “River of Crabs,” is the traditional name of Cape Coast, and Omanhene (king) Osabarima Kwesi Atta is the traditional ruler of the Oguaa traditional area. Cape Coast was formed by the Oguaa people, and the most dominant language in the town is Fante. The indigenes are well known for their unique way of blending the local dialect with the English language. Because of this, the Fante language spoken by the people in Cape Coast is not considered original. For instance, ‘as)too’ is a Fante word that literally means ‘different,’ and it is evident that it was coined from the English word ‘assorted.’ They are also known for bearing English names like Johnson, Thompson, Benson, Peterson, etc., which they adopted from their European colonizers. Interestingly, some local native names were also coined into English-sounding versions like Quaison from Kwesi’s son, Koffe from Kofi, and Quarcoo from Kweku.

Food

The people of Oguaa are known for their expertise in fishing and fish preservation. It is believed that this is because of the number of rivers and lakes situated in the town: the Gulf of Guinea, which lies to the south of the city, and a lagoon (Bárka) called Fosu Lagoon located to the northwest of the town. These water bodies have been the source of livelihood for surrounding communities over the years. Apart from their expertise in fish farming, the people of Oguaa are also notable for their way of cooking. They are known for eating rich cuisines, mostly with more fish. Some of these popular cuisines include Fante Fante (a cooked fish stew prepared with palm oil), gravy and pepper sauce, the popular Fante kenkey and ‘estew’ (a food made out of corn) which can be eaten with soups and stews, ‘Epitsi’ made from ripe plantain, corn, or rice, etc.

Most major trading activities are carried out in their big market called “Kotokuraba,” which literally means “Village of Crabs” and also serves as a tourism hub for Ghana. The Kotokuraba market is located northwest of Mfanstipim School and Ghana Broadcasting Hill. It has major trading stores located around it, and part of the market has a big transport yard from where various buses and cars transport traders and their wares, as well as individuals, to different parts of the country.

Festival

The people of Cape Coast celebrate the Fetu Afahye festival on the first Saturday in September every year. The name “Fetu” – originally Efin Tu means “doing away with dirt” – is believed to have been initiated after the people were able to eliminate a plague with the help of their gods that killed many in the past. Today, the people celebrate the festival to keep the town clean and to prevent another epidemic. The celebration of the festival is enriched with many interesting activities such as the Barkatue, Orange Friday, Akoms night, etc. The Bakatue, which literally means ‘lagoon opening,’ is celebrated to mark the opening of the lagoon to the general public after an earlier ban on fishing in the Fosu Lagoon. The Omanhene or King is the first person to throw his net three consecutive times to officially open up the lagoon for the general public. For the Omanhene to catch plenty of fish indicates a prosperous fishing season to come. This event is marked by a special crowd in the middle of the firing of musketry. The Orange Friday is a street carnival that clads the city in bright orange decorations, creating a visual spectacle that is hard to miss. On that day, families, friends, and visitors gather to enjoy a diverse range of activities, including live music performances, dance competitions, art exhibitions, and local food stalls offering delectable treats that showcase the region’s culinary heritage. The Orange Friday carnival is not only known for its sparkling atmosphere but also plays a significant role in commemorating the Oguaa Fetu festival and promoting community spirit and unity. On the day of the Fetu Afahye celebration, there is a procession of the Asafo Companies, which parade along the streets of Cape Coast from Kotokuraba through Chapel Square to the chief’s palace. They display drumming, dancing, and pouring of libation to usher in a peaceful and prosperous new year. A durbar of chiefs is held on this day to deliberate on issues affecting the Oguaa Traditional Area. On the last day of the celebration, which is Sunday, a grand ceremony is held at Victoria Park for all Christian denominations to have a joint service.

Arts, Music, and Dance

Esi ee menny3 ewi oo, Na ewi nny3 oo 2x

Agya Nyame woa má wo nsa

Fa k3 y3 edwuma, Na s3 Enya bi a

Edze ato adze y3 ama wora woho

Esi ee menny3 ewi oo, na ewi ny3 oo

This is one of the popular Fante folk songs usually performed with the popular Ampatampa dance. This dance is usually performed by Fante women on special occasions like festivals. Ampatampa, originally “Apata ampa,” which literally means “separated indeed,” is a dance in Fante history where a woman distracted a giant who killed the Fante men at night with a dance. Historically, this woman danced gracefully, which distracted the giant and separated the fight. The Oguaa people also perform the Asafo dance during festivals. It is a war dance performed with Asafo music such as Kobens Adze Yah, Freeman Kwadwo Donkor, and Edward Page.

Cape Coast is one of the towns significant in the history of Highlife music. Many originators of Highlife music hailed from Cape Coast, such as Cape Coast Sugar Babies (the first Highlife orchestras), Kwaa Mensah (originator of Palm Wine Highlife), H.E. Biney (a guitarist and member of Kwaa Mensah’s group), Ebo Taylor, and Kwah Kanta, who is known for popular songs like Yaa Amponsah Gyae Award and Adjoa Yankey (popularized by CK Mann). Today, other popular musicians like Asem, Teephlow, and Joe B continue the tradition. Highlife music was described as a replacement for ‘Osibisaba’ or ‘Osibi,’ a Fante fishermen’s traditional recreational music in the 1900s. It was a guitar and accordion music that developed in Fante port towns. In 1994, the Gramophone Records Museum and Research Centre of Ghana (GRMRC) was officially established in Cape Coast by Mr. Kwame Sarpong, inside the premises of the Regional Centre for National Culture. The museum exhibits a core collection of

By: SANDRA BAABA FOSUWAA APPIAH CAPE COAST – THE HISTORIC CITY OF GHANA

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Ghana, Accra, Mankessim. Ishmael Awudi is a journalist and a media entrepreneur. He founded Ghana News Guide. GNG is an online news platform that focuses on news stories within Ghana and across the world on a regular basis. The primary objective of GNG is to ensure that news stories are reported as they are, with no filters applied. In its news coverage, GNG strives for professionalism.He also founded Wetour, a local tourism agency aimed at boosting the tourism space in Ghana with the youth at focus.Ishmael works with The Afriam Network as the head of business development. Afriam Network is a global company based in Ghana, Accra that offers a variety of services such as Customer Service, Debt Collection, Order Taking, Lead Generation, Customer Surveys, and Telesales. Ishmael holds a bachelor's degree from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He won the best online media personality award in 2019 at level 300.He has contributed to several media houses in Ghana including.

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