Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Tumu: An exposé on the Ceremonial Costume Art of Fuowie Nasolo, a youth cultural iconic figure in Tumu

Abstract

Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Africa (Ghana) has been on the decline due to the alarming rate at which African youth assimilate foreign cultures. Many African (Ghanaian) youth nowadays mock African (Ghanaian) ethnic cultures in favour of Western cultures. However, previous research suggests youth cultural activism in Tumu, Ghana. This positive development has the tendency to preserve and promote the cultural identity of Tumu. This study, therefore, sought to establish the motivation behind youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Tumu with a specific focus on the costume art of Fuowie Nasolo, a youth cultural iconic figure in Tumu. Qualitative descriptive analysis of interview transcripts and photographic data gathered from twenty-five (25) heterogenous-purposively sampled informants reveal that youth cultural activism in contemporary Tumu is engendered by the sustained cultural tutelage provided by the elders of Tumu. Additionally, it was emphasised that youth cultural participation in contemporary Tumu is extrinsically motivated by the admirable cultural activism of Fuowie, the unifying leader of Tumu youth cultural group. A cursory study of the cultural manifestations of Fuowie’s ceremonial costume art, reveals the royal, heroic, and wardress culture of the indigenes of Tumu. Since Fuowie’s cultural activism significantly complements the effort of Tumu elders in promoting youth cultural participation, the study calls for sustained collaboration between Fuowie and the elders of Tumu to massively promote youth participation in traditional cultural activities for cultural preservation, cultural restoration, and the construction of authentic cultural identity of the people of Tumu for posterity.