Damba Festival

Festival of the Mole-Dagbani peoples of northern Ghana, celebrating chieftaincy and identity in the Islamic month of Rabi al-awwal.

Country:Ghana

Language:English; Dagbani

Published:2025-10-02

Audience:Students of Dagomba culture, travellers

Damba is a festival celebrated by the Dagomba, Mamprusi, Nanumba, Mossi and other related peoples of the Mole-Dagbani group in northern Ghana and parts of Burkina Faso. It is celebrated in the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar (Rabi al-awwal). Although the timing coincides with the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the festival is essentially a celebration of chieftaincy and identity rather than an Islamic religious observance. It is marked by horse-riding processions, ceremonial drumming on the lunga and gungon, recitations of clan history and feasting at the chiefs palace.

Keywords

Damba

Dagomba

Mole-Dagbani

Northern Region

chieftaincy

Source & licence

Source: Wikipedia

URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damba

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

Wikipedia article. CC BY-SA 4.0 attribution required.

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