Cultural Presentation, Togo.
Togo is a West African civilization, also known as the Republic of Togo, or Togoland. The capital of Togo is Lome (CIA, 2015), and the people are known as Togolese. Togo is 365 miles and consists of six geographic regions and numerous tribes. Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso border Togo. (Everyculture, n.d.)
Communication.
French is the official language of Togo, it is taught, spoken and used for government and official documentation. (CIA, 2015) Togolese also speak some of their native tribal languages such as Ewe, Kwa, and Kabye. Though not owned and used by everyone, they have telephone systems, Internet, and radio systems.(Everyculture, n.d.) Togo’s national symbols include “coat of arms” which contains two lions holding bows for bravery, Hippopotamus is their national animal, and their motto "Travail, Liberté, Patrie" which means work, liberty, and homeland. (WorldAtlas n.d.)
Religion1
Togo has the right to freedom of religion, and there are numerous religions practiced. The two main religions that are practiced are Voodoo and Animism, Voodoo is the combination of Roman Catholic ritual with African beliefs in values,
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From the German culture they have a love of beers, thought only the wealthy have great access to it, or it is used at festivals. From the French they have the love of breads, such as baguette. (Journeymart, n.d.) Three meals are usually consumed a day, which each involve a starch such as maize. A favorited dish they serve is known as “fufu” which is a dish made of yams or stiffened cornmeal porridge, often served with different sauces, such as peanut paste.(mapsofworld n.d.) During evening meals they serve Fish, goat, or another form of protein with different sauces. Togolese eat on a mat and men and women eat separately. When diners show gratitude they are known for breaking the bones of the animal served and sucking out the marrow. (Everyculture,
According to Paul Touloute, human beings since their creation have always wanted to investigate the unseen world. These desires led to many religious and philosophical tendencies that account for many religions throughout the world. One of those religions, Vodou, commonly spelled Voodoo, evolved in Haiti as the predominant religion of the people incorporating traditions imported by enslaved Africans. In an attempt to investigate Vodou beliefs and for a better understanding of the religion, Karen McCarthy Brown immerses herself into the life of Alourdes Macena and their extended Vodou family kinship. Karen participates not only in the home-spun ritualistic ceremonies which is essential to pleasing various spirits, but also undergoes ritual marriages to the spirits Ogou and Danbala, and completes the initiation process one must undergo in order to become a manbo. The key goal of doing an ethnographic fieldwork is to go beyond what “actors’ say they do” (being the ideal) to “what actors actually do” (the real). Within the story of Mama Lola, the author Karen McCarthy Brown explores the spiritual tradition of Vodou through extensive research and participation-observation, which is a great way to go from the ideal to real absences. Karen Brown learns how Vodou operates, who the spirits are and what it takes to appease them, and of most importance, she learns about how Vodou is a religion of and for the people.
“Religion is a set of rituals, rationalized by myth, which mobilizes supernatural powers for the purpose of achieving or preventing transformations of state in man and nature” (107). When the Europeans colonized Haiti, they brought over African slaves with them. These slaves had already established African religious practices, prior to being brought to Haiti. As the French got acquainted with Haiti, they were also forcing Roman Catholic traditions upon the slaves. As a result, there was the birth of the religion Haitian Vodou. These enslaved Africans were not allowed to practice Haitian Vodou openly because it offended those that practiced Catholicism, the French wanted full control over the slaves in every aspect, and anyone outside of
Voodoo or how its grammatically pronounced Vodou originates from African slaves who colonized in the city of Haiti (Shedding Light on Voodoo Rituals in Haiti) . It is a hybrid of western Christianity and African Indigenous tribal religions (Vodou). While it accepts the Christian God it also promotes the concept of a invisible world all around us that we cannot see (Vodou). This invisible world is better defined as a realm of spirits that influence all aspects of life. It is entirely possible to be both Voodoo and Christian because they believe that it was the Christian God that created the physical universe and the metaphysical universe (Vodou). Both universes live in union with one another serving different purposes. Voodoo could be defined as the act of servitude towards the spirit world through rituals and other various religious tasks (Charles). Then in return the various sprits depending on the ritual will respond with good health, monetary gain, or a number of other ways (Charles). Over the years the religion has managed to survive through oral tradition (Vodou). Societies who practice Voodoo typically have priests or priestess that act as a spiritual guide. A small percentage of the world's population practices Voodoo beliefs but many of the few that do exist practic...
A type of “transplanted musical traditions” that has been brought to the United States that is from Mexico that I know of is called “Jarabe Tapatio” or also known as the “Mexican Hat Dance.” This type of music and dance is performed by Mariachi and is a tradition that has been preserved by Mexican migrants who have migrated to the United States. The “Jarabe Tapatio” or “Mexican Hat Dance” is known for dancing around the guy’s hat known as “Sombrero.” This dance has been kept in the Hispanic culture and transplanted by doing celebrations on dates that are significant to Mexican migrants.
Mali, one of the best African human advancement after the kingdom of old Ghana. The vast majority of the data about Mali originates from Islamic researchers, Islamic researchers gave careful consideration to Mali since its rulers changed over to Islam and spread it all through Africa. There were a few clans inside the Mali Empire however the vast majority of these individuals were considered piece of the Mande individuals. In Mali individuals were isolated into stations, ranchers were a standout amongst the most regarded position since they gave sustenance. Local people would wear brilliant streaming robes called boubout yet not all individuals in mail would wear these in light of the fact that Mali had twelve ethnic gatherings that were
Although each subject is from completely different backgrounds, whether they be geographical or religious, they each share likeness in many different aspects of their lives. Showing the similarities as well as the differences in their eating habits can create a cultural map tracing each individuals food choices back to one source. In this case, the source may be the continent of Africa where many of these foods are eaten today. In West Africa, the yam is a very popular vegetable. This just goes to show how food can be the missing link of different cultures throughout the world.
Voodoo is a very promising religion. It offers comfort and support to practitioners while Haiti remains unstable. There is a strong sense of tradition, but it is a very unique sense of tradition. Voodoo has no formal dogma, no specific organization, and no written text. There is no right or wrong way to practice Voodoo. Because there was no formal history of Voodoo practitioners believed it was easier to form a bond with the supernatural world. Each individual has his/her own relationship with his or her specified god, and each relationship is unique. The religion is in the hands of the practitioner. People can choose how deep they wish to get involved in this religion. A practitioner of Voodoo decides for him or herself how to establish their personal bond with the supernatural. In comparison religions like Catholicism, have guidelines to follow and consequences for all your actions. Voodoo allowed Haiti to form an identity of its own.
...otestant. Islam has made progress among the people of the interior, who have largely retained their animist religions. Altogether, about 70 percent of the people follow traditional religions and 20 percent are Muslim. English is Liberia's official language but is spoken by only about one-fifth of the people. The remainder speak various African languages which mainly belong to the Mande, West Atlantic, or Kwa linguistic groups.
Soups are the staple food of the nomadic tribespeople, moving from place to place in search of cattle food. They use milk and prepare butter, but choose to collect wild vegetables and hunt occasional wild animals rather than use their herds for food. Traditionally, fruit beers made from various cereals, and a slightly fermented beverage made from porridge water (maheu) are the beverages usually taken between meals rather than with food. More recently, sugar and honey-sweetened tea, coffee and commercial soft drinks are replacing the traditional and more. nourishing beverages.
Chad is an ethnically diverse African country that also happens to be one of the poorest countries in Africa. Chad gained its independence from France in 1960 after a sixty year rule. There are several national cultures in Chad that are based on ethnoregional and religious affiliations. There are more than 200 ethnic groups in Chad, and those in the north and east are typically Muslim; most southerners are Animists and Christians. Through their long religious and commercial relationships with Sudan and Egypt, many of the people in Chad's eastern and central regions have become more or less Arabized, speaking Arabic and engaging in many other Arab cultural practices as well (Azevedo, Graham, and Nnadozie, 1997). The people who reside in southern Chad took more readily to European culture during the French colonial period.
Food is one of the most important parts of celebrations for, births, deaths, and marriages around the world. It is an important staple in everyday living and a person cannot survive without it. Food and culture are closely intertwined, cultures of every part of the world go to considerable lengths to obtain and prepare meals for important celebrations. In this paper I hope to inform you of the different staple diets of Africa, some important celebrations that use food in their celebrations, and the culture that completes the circle. I will answer some questions of why food is important and what types of foods are common uses in today’s African society.
According to Marion Dagham-Malenky, Voodoo became the official national religion in Benin and Haiti. Creation and Origin Voodoo originally started over 10,000 years ago in the West Africa regions of Ghana, Tago, Benin, and Nigeria with the era of European slavery within Africa that brought misery and harsh conditions. It was thought that the spiritual religion of voodoo was created and evolved through the rituals, traditions, and beliefs that fifteen African tribes including the Fon, Yoruba, and Ewe created. Countries such as Brazil, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Cuba had to change the name of Voodoo to “Candomble” and “Obeah” in order to hide the Voodoo traditions. Haiti was the only country that sustained strong beliefs in the original rituals and beliefs through the Haitian Revolution.
The typical African, whether in a rural farming community or in the bustling city environment, takes great care to see that meals are properly served and eaten. Great attention is also given to how the meals are prepared and what are its constituents.
In terms indigenous african religion, it is known as The Religion of the San People. Everything is focused on community. Worshipping, funerals, and births, are all celebrated by the entire tribe. When you are born into a tribe, you usually stay with them most of your life. This helps build security and order, because everyone knows the basics of everyone else's pasts.
Oti, Adepeju; Ayeni, Oyebola. (2013) Yoruba Culture of Nigeria: Creating Space for an Endangered Species Cross - Cultural Communication9.4 : 23-29