First Funeral! Yes, an exclamation point for a funeral!

On Sunday, I went to my very first Ghanaian funeral. Let’s just say that funerals here are nothing like they are back in America. It’s a celebration of life and essentially a giant party/family reunion. Everyone in dressed in white accented with black, most in traditional wear, but a few modern outfits from the younger attendees.

This particular funeral was that of my drum teacher’s brother. He was a man involved in a number of different sectors including commerce, military, and public health. There were armed guards outside the gated house and hundreds of people in attendance.

Aside from the quality feast, the best part of the event was the music. There were four different bands: Local Dimensions (composed of teachers from the University’s Music Department), a traditional drumline (Johnson, my drum teacher, is the director), a youth brass band, and another local band. Each band had its own unique sound and I took a few videos to show my experience!

Everyone danced, even me! It’s amazing how healthy and fit people are! I would see a man who looks like he’s approaching his eighties moving his body at the same pace as a woman seemingly in her thirties! It’s unbelievable! I love that though; I love how much this culture is surrounded on rhythm, whether it is in dancing or music.