Ayisoba to visit USA to launch Kente/Batakari festival

Under the auspices of First Page Multimedia Productions (FPMP) and American Youth United (AYU), Ghana’s traditional music icon, King Ayisoba will be traveling to the United States of America (USA) to launch the Kente and Batakari Festival this month.

According to Mr. Collins Obeng-Agyare, also known as Odeshie, Producer of King Ayisoba, the trip is to project the two indigenous fabrics to the world, as Ghana prepares to celebrate the next Kente and Batakari Day in May next year.

According to Mr. Obeng-Agyare, who will be leading the delegation to the US, King Ayisoba will be performing in California at the African Cultural Festival on October 19 and 20 to a large audience of African Americans, among others.

“This would be followed by the grand launching of the Kente and Batakri Festival on October 27,” he disclosed, adding that the celebration would then become an annual event.

Odedhie said during the programme, a date would set on the month for the annual celebration. They will be hosted by the American Youth United (AYU), founded by Ms Tremeka Ruud, who visited Ghana earlier this year.

AYU reached an agreement with FPMP in Ghana for the celebration of the Festival alongside the Black History Month in the US every February.

This trip comes in the trail of a similar one embarked upon by King Ayisoba, the King of Kologo music, to countries like Denmark, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Italy, among others, where he did not only perform but also promoted Kente and Batakari and cleared the way for the celebration of the Kente and Batakari Festival across Europe from next year.

In Ghana, May 12 has been set aside as the Kente/Batakari Day to promote the fabrics and support those in the industry.

The Kent/Batakari industry employs a large number of people ranging from the manufacturers to retailers and their dependants. The Kente/Batakari Day is the brainchild of King Ayisoba and First Page Multimedia Production with support from some of the allied ministries.

The observation of the day as a truly national day is awaiting approval from Parliament, who are working on the proposal submitted to them some months ago.