The Greater Accra Bissa community will hold its first Sukuma celebration on 5 October, marking a significant moment in their cultural calendar.
The event, organised by the Greater Accra Bissa Development Association (BDA), will take place in Alajo under the auspices of the Greater Accra Council of Bissa Chiefs.
Sukuma, established in 2022, is a cultural festival for Bissa diaspora communities. Unlike the annual Zekula festival in Kulungungu, Sukuma dates are set by local Bissa groups outside their ancestral homeland.
The gathering is expected to feature traditional music, dance, cuisine, and other cultural displays that showcase the unique heritage of the Bissa people.
It will present the unique platform to officially outdoor Kir Salisu Ali Dabre IV, who was invested as the Greater Accra Bissa Chief in March this year, providing an excellent opportunity for community members to meet and engage with their new representative.
Although Bissas originate from Upper East Region, Greater Accra is believed to host Ghana’s largest Bissa diaspora community, reflecting the capital’s role as a magnet for internal migration and cultural diversity.
This demographic shift has led to a growing need for cultural events that cater to the diaspora experience.
The celebration aims to preserve Bissa culture and strengthen community ties in the capital.
It is a pivotal moment for the local Bissa community, providing a much-anticipated opportunity to celebrate their rich culture, strengthen ties within their adopted region, and pass down traditions to younger generations.
Sukuma, which began in Ashanti Region, was backed by the BDA, under the forward-thinking Shaibu Gutare Zanni administration, to complement the main Zekula festival and meet the evolving needs of Bissa communities living outside Kulungungu.
The October 5 event will also mark a major achievement for the regional BDA and as well as big ceremony for the Chairman Gutare as he marks begins his second term in office.
This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the importance of maintaining cultural connections in an increasingly globalized world, where diaspora communities play a crucial role in preserving and promoting their heritage.
Notably, since its inception in 2022, the Ashanti region has been the only region to have marked its Zekula in the past two years, making the Greater Accra celebration a particularly anticipated event for Bissa communities nationwide.