Christmas in the Oil City

Christmas is right around the corner and Ghanaians like any other country loves to celebrate Christmas in grand style. However, it is not every place in Ghana that you will enjoy your Christmas. If there are lots of activities during the Christmastime, Sekondi-Takoradi first comes to mind of many Ghanaians as it promises fun-filled activities every year. The celebration of Westside Carnival is one of the many reasons why Sekondi-Takoradi is the best place to be during the yuletide. Before I start with the celebration of the Westside carnival let me digress and tell something about Sekondi-Takoradi. Sekondi-Takoradi, aka the Twin City, aka Tadi, aka the Oil City, is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi and is the capital of the Western Region of Ghana. It is the largest city in the region and the fourth most populated metropolitan area in the country. It is also a port city. Tadi is currently named as the Oil City of Ghana due to the massive discovery of oil in the western region and this has attracted massive migration from people all around the world.

The Westside Carnival is a 3 days fully fun-packed festive usually celebrated from 24th-26th December of every year. It is very popular with tourists. It is a festive where not less than 40 masquerade groups display their colourful fancy dress with scary masks, beautiful dancing moves and skills, control over and talents with the brass band, etc. during the daytime of 24th to 26th December and celebrities (mostly artistes) are invited to perform in the evenings. Also, other competitions like dancing competition, rap battles, etc., are not left out. Furthermore, skaters display their skills with skate boots. The best masquerade group is adjudged the winner of the carnival on the final day, December 26. The masquerades colour the streets of the Metropolis in their colourful fancy dress which is locally called “anchors”.

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People from all over the country travel to Takoradi to witness, celebrate and enjoy the Westside Carnival. Moreover, people in the diaspora travel back to the Oil City to join in the celebration. Some even come along with their friends who are always thrilled by the skills displayed by the masquerades.

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Two years ago, one of Takoradi’s finest artiste by name Kofi Kinaata composed a song titled “Made in Taadi” particularly for the event. In the song, Kinaata tells about how interesting and fun the Westside Carnival is, and that there is no place to be during the yuletide other than to be in Takoradi. Also, he tells about how people from every nook and cranny of the country and even in the diaspora troop in to Tadi to celebrate the Westside Carnival. This song won the hearts of not only those from Takoradi but many Ghanaians.
The Westside carnival is fun-packed that anyone from Takoradi wouldn’t want to miss it for anything. No wonder people always say “the best comes from the west”.
I really can’t wait for this year’s carnival as it promise to be much fun.
I invite you all this year’s 2017 Westside Carnival and I bet you will never regret.
I love my Takoradi, I love my Oil City, I love my Tadi and I love my Westside Carnival.
I remain @sircharles.