Damba festival

hey! The Damba Festival was celebrated a few days back in the borth and the following gives a preview of the Damba Festival The Damba is categorised into three main festivals, namely:



Somo Damba
Naa Damba
Belkusi Damba
The Damba Festival is a traditional festival with its origin from Islam. It is the celebration of the birth of the prophet Mohammed. The festival falls annually on the twelfth day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the month in which the Prophet was born

SOMO DAMBA, also called "Moulidi Nabiyu" which marks the birth of the holy prophet and NAA DAMBA also known as the Chief Damba marks the naming of the prophet. The countdown starts with the appearance of the new moon of Rabi-ul-Awwal also known as the Damba moon. The Somo Damba is celebrated on the tenth day of the Damba moon with traditional music and dancing in front of the chief's palace with women of every quarter of the town organizing their own singing and dancing.

On the morning of the ninth day, the rice that will be cooked on the Somo Damba is spread, singing praises to Allah. Another important activity is in the evening when prayer sessions and sermons about the festival and a talk on Islam are held.

From the eleventh day drumming and dancing stops in order to prepare for the Naa Damba.

Naa Damba which is celebrated by the Chiefs falls on the seventeenth day of the Damba moon and is marked by colorful display of traditional costume, dances and many other activities which includes the slaughthering of a bull provided by the chief.

In the afternoon the drummers and the people in their colorful dresses, go to the chief's house to pay homage. During this period the Imam and the chief's linguist lead the drummers into the palace to lead the chief and wives out in a procession. When they appear they are met with joy and jubilation. As soon as the chief is seated, the drummers start the "Damba beat". Whilst the Damba beat is being performed, the chief occasionally takes the floor to dance and people rush to present money to show appreciation. There is firing of musketry. This continues till 6.00pm when the chief retires to his palace, which gives an indication that all is over for the time being.

The next day there is the display of horsemanship to see the Damba off. On this day anybody who owns a horse including the chief decorated it and then they ride on them to the town to greet friends and important personalities. In the evening amidst drumming and dancing, a long procession starts from the chief's house to the outskirts of the town where the festivals rounded off.

One thing stands out on all such occasions are the traditional clothes, the hand woven smock called Fugu. The best Fugu is made in Daboya, Yendi, Gushegu and Tamale.