About Trends Runway

The maiden edition of the Trends Runway show was held in Tamale at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in November 2021. The night brought some delight to the city of Tamale. Generally, the organizers were impressed with the number of audiences who turned out for the program and the patience they exercise and stayed till the show was over.

READ ALSO: Bafowaa: The radical afro/R&B artiste with a new sound and vibe 

Fashion Designers at Trends Runway

One of the Accra-based designers expressed his joy and delightfulness at seeing the audience still glued to their seats as late as 12 midnight when people would begin to leave at about 9 pm in Accra when the show has not ended. The atmosphere and reception of the people of Tamale were a new experience for him and this overwhelming. According to him, this was an indication that they were really welcomed in Tamale with their fashion.

The missing vibe at Trends Runway

The missing vibe in the organization’s structure was the conspicuous absence of women. In an interview with Abdul Raafi Mohammed on Sanatu Zambang Hotspot Live, the organizers bemoaned the difficulty of getting women involved in working with them but they hope to improve upon representation in the subsequent editions.    

READ ALSO: THE OTHER TRUTH

Challenges faced by the organisers of Trends Runway

They also expressed some difficulties in training the models. They had to run shifts for the trainees because most of them were not regular and kept missing days in training. This made their work very difficult.

Talking of the sponsorship, the organizers admitted that, they had a tough time getting people and organizations to sponsor the program.  They reiterated that most cooperate bodies would ask for sponsorship letters but when the letters are given out to them, they would decline to grant any sponsorship.  

In organizing this fashion show, they noted that most of their sponsorships came from friends and family members, which was totally unacceptable and discouraging for the growth and success of the program.

One of the points that were also highlighted in the interview was the fact that designers are being limited by clients says Abdul Raafi. Fashion designers are not being challenged by clients to be creative and come out with their own designs. Clients come to seek services demanding replicas of dresses they see on the internet. But the panelist was of a different view. They said it was the duty of these fashion designers to educate their clients about the fashion business and the work they actually do.  

 Source: Cynthia Kuyoli | Sanatu Zambang

The Story of Feok

The story of Feok is one premised on a cultural celebration of bravery and a bountiful harvest. The nostalgia surrounding it is not confined to merry making and the pouring of libation. It is more centered on a unified celebration of one festival by 13 autonomous towns; though linked by lineage, language, locale and similarities in cultural practices.

Characterized by a massive influx of indigenes from all over Ghana (the world). Many simply come to Sandema to witness the famous war dance/march believed to have been a major tactic used to repel & defeat slave raiders in colonial times. Whilst the dance/march is a sight to behold, the nostalgia from the beautiful Smock apparel fitted with talismans of different sizes and different spiritual efficacies speak volumes of the traditional nature of the celebrations.

Warriors who double as hunters hang several animal skins & bones as part of their regalia.

The majestic back and forth strides in semblance of a marauding bull is said to have re-enforced the camouflage tact adopted by Builsas in times of war. The horned hats, the sharp axe, as well as the bow and arrow (often laced with poison in true war situations) remain a Builsa warriors tool-kit.

The Archery competition often held a day after the grand durbar of the Chiefs and people is proof of our superiority in using arrows as weapons during war. It has been said that some of our great warriors where master archers on horseback.

Even though music drives the entire celebrations, there is a lot of spiritual exercises to commence and ensure a peaceful and successful celebration. The spirituality of the celebrations is however not entirely open to the public.

Feok in its truest form is therefore the spirit of Buluk.

The Spirit of Buluk

As the spirit of a unique people, each celebration must assume a milestone and a new phase for our forthright march towards economic emancipation.

The above has governed the celebrations since the inception of Feok by the late Nab Ayieta Azantilow. The thematic celebrations are testament to the development oriented nature of the celebrations. Whilst we may argue about the effective pursuance of the themes that characterize each celebration, we can also re-orient our minds to adjust for a take-off. One that fully sees the realization of set targets by way of the governing themes.

Such is the nature of a spirit – oneness for growth. The direct benefits for the business community and the gains for the two Builsa districts as tourism surges remain limitless. It is therefore prudent to see the spirit of Buluk and fully adopt it for empowerment of all.

Empowerment for all

The traditional Builsa is perceived to be fearless, tactical and very resourceful. These assertions may have arisen from the many wars fought to repel slave raiders. The unconventional tactics used by Builsa warriors, which were later adopted by neighboring towns lend credence to the tactical and fearless nature of our being. Our resourcefulness stem from our ability to turn any situation into gain and emerge victors. This may have accounted for the role of Nab Ayieta Azantilow in psyching the Ghanaian contingent drafted to fight alongside the British in Burma. It is therefore appropriate to explore Feok and its adjoining activities to open up economic opportunities for all. Opportunities abound yet we have done little to nothing in realizing the gains from those opportunities.

Opportunities

Feok is a celebration of culture & History. Culture & History is an intricate part of tourism. Tourism is a major economic development tool.

Evidence of the slave trade abound in Buluk; this considers the multi-ponged fight approach in defeating slave raiders; Builsa-land definitely has insightful evidence worthy of visits to all who have an interest in the history of slave trade.

The birth of Buluk is quiet interesting and ascertaining the origin of Builsa’s and the reasons behind the 13 autonomous Builsa towns is worth exploring.

The myths surrounding the giant who lived in Kadema and the speculated total annihilation of “Vari” around Bachongsa  is also worth probing.

There is so much Buluk has to offer the world by way of tourism.

Relics from some battles with slave raiders still exist in Fiisa and some other places. the activities surrounding Feok is capable of attracting a huge volume of tourists when properly marketed.

When we open up by branding and marketing Feok well, a lot of jobs will be created…

I will be sharing some business ideals in my next article.