Celebrating the Past in Peacetime: The War Dance of the Bulsa of Northern Ghana
Abstract
Abstract
This article explores the annual leelik, war dance of the Bulsa in the northern part of Ghana in the context of the feok festival. Leelik, expresses the warfare narratives of the Bulsa people in a beautiful and stylized cultural music and dance performances of their victory over Babatu, a Slave Raider and his warriors. Drawing on ethnographic data and archival material, the article argues that the Bulsa war dance performed in peacetime in contemporary Bulsaland is a significant historical phenomenon utilized for purposes of entertainment, cultural identity, strengthening of bonds of unity among the people and community development. The article concludes that, for the Bulsa, a war dance is not just bodily movements accompanied by music, but a way of life celebrating the past and reinforcing we-feeling, spirit of unity, values and norms and a deeper sense of belonging.