Traditional Leaders Urged to Stop Men Disguising as Female Kete Dancers
Traditional authorities within the Asante Kingdom have been urged to take strict action against men who have assumed the female role of Kete dancers, locally known as ‘Adosoafoɔ’.
It has been observed with dismay attempts to infiltrate the Asante culture and tradition with modern trends that threatens to extinguish the originality of practices.
One of these practices is the performance of the Kete dance by men made up and dressed like women at various events and functions, particularly funerals across the country.
This topic featured in the Wednesday’s edition of Adomankomasɛm Show hosted by Freduah Agyemang on Opemsuo Radio, where the act was unequivocally condemned as an affront to Asante customs.
About ‘Adosoafoɔ’
While discussing the etymology of Kete, panel member Kwaku Annoh, also known as Mmerantie Wofase, mentioned that it was one of the traditional dances learned from dwarfs.
“The dwarfs used these dances to entertain their children. When their daughters experienced their first menstruation, it was used as a puberty rite. Whenever the hunters heard the noise, they would hide and watch.
“In the olden days, whoever came across anything in the forest was enjoined to inform the Palace. After that, the informant would be accompanied by messengers to confirm the information. That was how Nananom learnt how kete were played as well as the dance.”
Women were trained to dance and perform for traditional rulers on auspicious occasions, he recounted.
Cashing Out
Panellist Nana Poku observed that these men were defying tradition with the excuse of making ends meet.
While calling for respect of tradition, he emphasised that cross-dressing in this regard must not be countenanced.
“The men are doing this for money, but greed shouldn’t be allowed to destroy culture. Cross-dressing won’t bring you wealth; it’s your dancing skills that truly matter. Many men are performing traditional dances and earning substantial amounts of money. You don’t need to dress like a woman to earn a living.”
Immediate Action
Adding his voice, Boakye Mohmmed, known as Diawuo, reiterated the role of Nananom in the preservation of culture.
He stressed that traditional rulers are custodians of tradition and thereby the need for them to take up the fight against the ongoing act.
According to him, it beckons on Nananom to take firm actions against the illegality which threatens the authenticity of Asante culture.
“All of this happened under the watch of Nananom, who turned a blind eye to these issues. We must protect and preserve what we have been given without allowing any infiltration. If we don’t take a stand now, it will take root and become a much larger problem.”
Story by Hajara Fuseini
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
