Chale Wote Festival Is Total Rubbish- Ex-Ghana Leader, General Ankrah’s Daughter Charges
Gertrude Ankrah, daughter of Ghana’s former Head of State, General Ankrah has labelled the famous Chale Wote festival as ‘rubbish.’
In an Interview with Kwesi Armah, Madam Gertrude said that the only thing that characterizes the popular event is drinking and smoking. She suggested that there’s nothing significant about the show, and all she sees any time she visits the event are the aforementioned deviant behaviours and nothing else.
Beyond that, Gertrude suggested that promiscuity becomes the order of the day instead of the core objective ascribed to the festival
She therefore called on the government and the Ga traditional council to ban the event.
The Chale Wote Festival is an annual street festival held in Accra, Ghana, with the aim of fostering cultural exchanges between local and international artists and patrons. Since its inception in 2011, the festival has featured a diverse range of activities, including street painting, graffiti murals, photography, theater performances, spoken word, interactive art installations, live music, sports, film screenings, and more.
The festival’s first two editions were one-day events, while subsequent editions in 2013 and 2014 were two-day events held in September and August, respectively. In 2016, the festival expanded to a week-long event, with activities taking place not only in Jamestown but also in other art spaces such as the Nubuke Foundation, the Museum of Science and Technology, and the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel. The upcoming 7th edition, themed “Wata Mata,” will continue this format and expand to other areas of Accra, including Nima and Osu.
The festival is produced by Accra [dot] Alt Radio, with support from local cultural networks such as the Attukwei Art Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana, Dr. Monk, Redd Kat Pictures, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana Museum and Monements Board, Korley Klottey Municipal Assembly, Institute français, and Lododo Arts in Ghana.
Watch the full interview below;
Gertrude’s father, Joseph Arthur Ankrah was a Ghanaian army general who was head of state of Ghana from 1966 to 1969 as Chairman of the National Liberation Council. He was Ghana’s first military head of state. Ankrah also served as Chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity from 24 February 1966 to 5, 1966. Previously, Ankrah was appointed the first commander of the Ghana Army in 1961.
