Asogli Te Za

The legend of the yam

The story goes that during a famine a hunter found yam in the forest and buried part of it in the soil. When he came back it had sprouted and grown, and so yam farming began.¹ The tradition is linked to the Ewe migration from Notsie in present-day Togo.¹

The festival had lapsed for more than a decade when Togbe Afede XIV revived it in 2004, as the Asogli Yam Festival; in 2018 it took back the name Te Za.¹²

What happens

Highlights include the hailing of the new yam and a ceremony at sundown that brings the whole community out in a street-filling procession, ending in a grand durbar.³ It is a time to thank God, the gods and the ancestors for a good harvest.¹

Good to know if you go

• Where: Ho is the capital of the Volta Region, about three hours from Accra.
• Combine it: Kpetoe’s kente weavers and the hills of the Volta are close. See the Volta region page.
• Check the dates: the traditional council sets the days each year, often only weeks ahead. Local radio and the national press carry the announcement.
• Respect the rites: some rituals are sacred and not for cameras. Ask before photographing chiefs, priests or anyone taking part, and follow what the ushers ask.