Kaakaamotobi; Not Halloween

As parts of the world celebrate Halloween today, I like to share some photos from the Fancy Dress Festival, also known as Kaakaamotobi in Takoradi, Ghana.

While the festival has no connection to the history of Halloween, the idea of scary costumes for masquerade is a common activity.

The event starts off by participants dressing up and gathering at a location before setting of to the streets.

They Parading streets in the community, asking for treats. The “treat” is usually some form of gift, although money preferred.

These photos are from the 2019 celebrations. It was my first time witnessing the colourful festival that features brass band music and custom dance.

Shout out to my fixer, best friend, Dinoh, who also came to my rescue with transport after the event.