Hollywood star Idris Elba has fondly shared his Akwasidae experience when he recently came to Ghana and had the honour of meeting Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the monarch of the Ashanti Kingdom.
Recall that he participated in the Akwasidae celebration at Manhyia Palace during his visit to Ghana not too long ago. The actor said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he was taken aback when asked to visit Asantehene, a big fan of his, while he was shooting his documentary on gold.
For the first time ever, he was asked to accompany Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to the first Akwasidae of the year 2023. Sharing his experience during the interview, Elba said, “So I showed up in my jeans. They were like, no, ‘you got to wear this kente cloth’. It was a really fascinating day. I mean, it was beautiful and the tradition was rich.”
He admitted that he felt anxious when meeting Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for the first time, particularly because he was unsure of how to maintain the stability of the Kente fabric.
“When you meet the king, typically what you have to drop the kente cloth shoulder down a little bit and then shake the King’s hand. It’s part of the tradition like a symbol of respect.
This is the first time I’m wearing it and underneath, you just got your shorts on. And my thing kept unravelling. I was like, ‘oh, man, I’m going to meet the king, and it’s going to fall off me and be standing there in my boxers’. I did my thing gently. It was actually a really beautiful time. I don’t mean to make fun of it. It was very beautiful, he concluded.
Source – Tru News Report
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