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Tabon: Afro-Brazilians in Accra, Ghana

ENCOUNTER

Josephine Ribiero is her name, said my brother. That was the first time I had heard such a surname. She looks different, I said. Her light skin and curly hair made her unique in the whole school. She was in the same class as my brother, Nathaniel. My brother went further and said she was Brazilian. And to add to my confusion, he answered a question I was about to ask, just by looking at the confusion on my face; she is not from Ghana. I wanted to ask more about her, but to avoid being labelled as ‘inquisitive’, which I found offensive, I kept my words to myself. In just a term of finding herself in my school, she was on the back of our exercise books and all our school’s billboards. The authorities saw her as an opportunity to show that our school in Agona Swedru, in the Central Region of Ghana, embraces diversity.

Growing up, I also heard the name Azumah; it did not ring any bell as it had become a familiar name on our TV owing to the popularity of Azumah Nelson, the renowned boxer. In my second year at the university, a lecturer came to class and began to talk about Tabon (Afro-Brazilians) in Accra. It sparked my desire to pay attention to this group’s identity, origin, and contribution to Accra and Ghana.

THE TABON

The names of the Tabon (Afro Brazilians) people set them apart from most other groups in Accra. Today, the Tabon have assimilated with the Ga people, and it will be challenging to distinguish them by merely looks. Azumah, Aruna, Vialla (Viera), Manuel, Gomez, Peregrino, Mahama Nassu (or Nassau), Zuzer, Ribiero, Morton, Olympio, Da Costa, Da Rocha, Fiscian, Maslieno, Antonio, Da Silva among others is what distinguishes them. It is without question that some of the names mentioned above are names common among some Brazilian populations today. These names were primarily influenced by European presence in Brazil, mainly Portuguese.

The Trans-Atlantic slave trade resulted in millions of Africans being shipped to the Americas as slaves. Over 4 million African slaves ended up in Brazil from the commencement of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade before its Abolishment in 1888. Most of these enslaved people were sent to Brazil from West Africa. In Brazil, these enslaved people were subjected to harsh treatment and forced to work on plantations. Some of these slaves could buy their freedom, while others gained their freedom through revolts or by running away. These Afro-Brazilian classes of people were considered by most classes as foreigners and treated as slaves among slaves. Some of these Africans always wanted to go back to their roots. These racial prejudices of Afro-Brazilians exist today.

In the first half of the 19th Century, the opportunity presented itself for some of these free Afro-Brazilian to return to Africa. Some of these Afro-Brazilians were descendants of slaves. In contrast, others were Africans who had just bought their freedom upon being enslaved in Brazil. The most famous ship associated with this voyage back to Africa is the SS Salisbury. Most of these people returned to the West Coast of Africa, specifically areas around modern-day Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. They were mostly known as Agudas in all these places except for Ghana, where they became known as Tabon.

The word ‘Tabon’ unravels without controversy their origin. According to Tabon’s oral tradition, the first batch of Afro-Brazilians arrived in Accra, Ghana, in 1829. The Tabon spoke Portuguese. Their Tabon identity was derived from the language barrier. They often used the phrase “Ta bom” to greet each other and their neighbours. This term was frequently utilized to indicate ‘alright’. The Ga then used the word Tabon to refer to these Afro-Brazilians.

Upon arriving in Accra, they were received by Mantse Nii Kwaku Ankrah, the chief of Otublohum, who gave them a place to reside on his land. According to records in the Ghana national archives, they were only a little over 70 on their arrival. Another group of Afro-Brazilians later joined them in 1836. Another set of people arrived later, as well as independent Afro-Brazilian families.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Some Afro-Brazilians who came to Accra were skilled workers, and their exposure to the Brazilian culture greatly influenced the culture of the Ga people they encountered, thereby increasing the hybridity of the Ga society. According to records, most of them were masons, carpenters, goldsmiths, well diggers, and tailors, and most had farming skills. Their contribution continued after the Ga people but went ahead to contribute their quota to making Ghana. Some Afro-Brazilians continue to contribute and are worthy of recognition and celebration. There is material evidence to show how they influenced the Ga culture.

The Tabon began to build houses with stones, which directly contrasted with the thatched-roof buildings of the Ga. The most famous of these houses is the stone house on Brazil Street. Part of the stone house is inhabited till today. Some of the local population later built houses that looked like the houses built by the Afro-Brazilians. These houses had two or more floors. Another notable remnant is the ‘Scissors House’ at Swabala, built in 1854, which still stands today. They were the first to drill bore holes in Ghana.

Some of these Tabon people have served and worked in various departments in the country. Notable among them is Miguel Augustus Francisco Ribeiro, who became Ghana’s first Ambassador to the United States.

Azumah Nelson also became a world boxing champion in the featherweight and super featherweight categories. His victories on the international staged help sell Ghana and demonstrate the interest of Ga people in boxing.

The above achievement begins a tall list and demonstrates how these Afro-Brazilian immigrants have contributed to making Ghana. Whenever you are in the heart of Accra, close to Jamestown, you can visit the Brazil House. To continue learning about the Tabon and appreciate their culture and contributions.

Written By

Stephen Baidoo is a writer who loves to research about Ghana's past. He brings Ghana's history to life with each unearthed fact and forgotten narrative, transforming dry dates into passionate stories.

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