Zorgho
Zorgho is a town in the Zorgho Department of Ganzourgou Province in Burkina Faso. Zorgho is the capital of Zorgho Department and Ganzourgou Province and has a population of 21,518.[1]
Zorgho | |
|---|---|
  Zorgho Location within Burkina Faso | |
| Coordinates: 12°15′N 0°37′W | |
| Country |  |
| Region | Plateau-Central Region |
| Province | Ganzourgou Province |
| Department | Zorgho Department |
| Elevation | 278 m (912 ft) |
| Population (2012 est.) | |
| • Total | 21,518 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Culture
Dances
There is a traditional Mossi dance from the town of Zorgho[2] called warba.[3] The dance involves the dancers moving one after another, shaking their bottoms and shoulders quickly.[4][5] It was traditionally accompanied by the bendré, a gourd drum with a sheep's skin.[5]
Nabasga Festival
Around the first week of July every year, the customary festival of Nabasga is held in the town of Zorgho to pay homage to ancestors.[6] The festival, held by the chief of the town, the Naba Sanem of Zorgho, consists of a ritual of sacrifice to thank the ancestors for the past season and implore their blessing for the one that begins.[6]
The party begins with a secret retreat of the chief from the village for a few days. His return to the palace marks the official beginning of the festivities. On the morning of Saturday, the dance troupes set up in the vicinity of the royal palace. Warba, maranse, yarma, liwaga, kiègba and other dances are performed to lively music. Meanwhile, the chief, with his notables, receives hundreds of high-ranking guests arriving from across the area to his palace.[6]
On the evening of Saturday around 5 pm, the chief leaves the town on horseback, accompanied by his ministers, his notables and some women of the royal family, each carrying a basket on their head. It simulates a journey whose destination is an old market place located a few hundred meters from the palace, where he makes three laps before making the sacrifice. In the vicinity of the path leading to this place, in front of and behind the chief, thousands of people make the movement to observe the ritual.[6]
After the chief returns to the palace, some go to see the dancers, and others go to the bar to drink beer. The party officially ends with the tour of the market by the "queens", 3 days later. An appointment is then made for the festival of the next year.[6]
References
- Burkinabé government inforoute communale
- "Burkina Faso: IIe Festival warba de Zorgho: la danse mystique met aux prises douze troupes". 28 November 2002. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "A la recherche des origines culturelles des Mossi du Burkina Faso". Leburkina.Net. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- Collectif (1992-06-15). Guide actuel du Paris mondial: Paris afro-antillais, Paris arabe, Paris asiatique, Paris de l'Est, Paris juif, Paris latino (in French). Seuil. p. 44.
- Mikael, POURCHER. "Rythme Warba - djembé et dununs". www.djembefola.fr (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- Ibrabiga. "Le Nabasga de Zorgho". www.burkinatourism.com (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-10.
External links
