Tabom People
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The Agudas or Tabom are the
Afro-Brazilian Afro-Brazilians (; ), also known as Black Brazilians (), are Brazilians of total or predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Most multiracial Brazilians also have a range of degree of African ancestry. Brazilians whose African features are mo ...
community in the south of
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
,
Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...
and
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
who are mostly of Yoruba descent. The Tabom People are an Afro-Brazilian community of former enslaved peoples who returned to Africa (Ghana). When they arrived in Jamestown,
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...
they could speak only Portuguese, and would conspicuously use the phrase "Tá bom" ("Okay"), so the
Ga-Adangbe people The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga or Gan and Dangbe or Dangme people are grouped as part of the Ga–Dangme languages, Ga–Dangme Ethnolinguistics, ethnolinguistic group. The ...
, who primarily inhabited the Jamestown neighborhood in Accra, started to call them the Tabom.


Origins of the Afro-Brazilian community in Ghana

The Afro-Brazilian descendants and community in the south of
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
dates back to one study from the 19th century that between an estimated 3,000 and 8,000 former slaves decided to return to Africa.Alcione Meira Amos e Ebenezer Ayesu "Sou Brasileiro: Historia dos Tabom, Afro-Brasileiros em Acra, Gana", Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brasil, 2005, Afro-Ásia, número 033
/ref> Up to now, it is not very clear if the Tabom really bought their freedom and decided to immediately come back or if they were at that time free workers in Brazil who came after the Malê revolt of 1835 in
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
. A lot of Afro-Brazilians when persecuted found their way back to Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria especially those who organised the Malê Revolt. In Ghana, it is common to find family names like de Souza, Silva, or Cardoso. Some of them have been very well known in Ghana.


Afro-Brazilians in Ghana

In Ghana, the representative group of people that decided to come back from Brazil is the Tabom people. They came back on a ship called SS ''Salisbury'', offered by the British government. About seventy Afro-Brazilians of seven different families arrived in South Ghana and Accra, in the region of the old port in James Town in 1836. The reception by the Mantse Nii Ankrah of the Otublohum area was so warm that they decided to settle down in Accra. The leader of the Tabom group at the time of their arrival was a certain Nii Azumah Nelson. The eldest son of Azumah Nelson, Nii Alasha, was his successor and a very close friend to the Ga King Nii Tackie Tawiah. Together they helped in the development of the whole community in
commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...
. At the present, the Tabom Mantse is Nii Azumah V, a descendant of the Nelsons. The Taboms are also known as the founders of the First Scissors House in 1854, the first
tailoring A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
shop in the country, which had amongst other activities, the task to provide the Ghanaian Army with uniforms. One notable figure is Dan Morton, a Tabom and one of the most famous tailors in Accra today. In Ghana, the de Souza family can be found around Osu, Kokomlemle and other parts of the Greater Accra region and South Ghana.
Sekondi-Takoradi Sekondi-Takoradi ( ) is a city in Ghana comprising the Twin cities (geographical proximity), twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan District and the Weste ...
and Cape Coast are also other bases. Almost all of them remained along the coastal regions of South Ghana. However, it is very common to see a De Souza, a Wellington, a Benson, a Josiah, a Pereria, a Palmares, a Nelson, an Azumah, Amorin, Da Costa, Santos, De Medeiros, Nunoo, Olympio, Maslieno, Maselino (a changed version of 'Maslieno' by the late Rev. Canon Seth Nii Adulai Maselino ((1919 - 1994)) whose parents originated from Maslieno House in Adabraka, Accra) and other Afro-Brazilians in Ghana speaking perfect Ga-Adangbe. This is because most of the Afro-Brazilian people married Ga-Adangbes. Because they were welcomed by the
Ga-Adangbe people The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga or Gan and Dangbe or Dangme people are grouped as part of the Ga–Dangme languages, Ga–Dangme Ethnolinguistics, ethnolinguistic group. The ...
and received by their kings as personal guests, the Taboms received lands in privileged locations, in places that are nowadays very well-known estates, like Asylum Down, the area near to the central train station and around the
Accra Brewery Company Accra Brewery Limited is a brewery based in Accra, Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d ...
. In those areas, the mango trees planted by them bear silent witnesses to their presence. In the estate of North Ridge there is a street called “Tabom Street”, which is a reminder of the huge plantations that they formerly had there. Some of the Taboms live nowadays in James Town, where the first house built and used by them as they arrived in South Ghana is located. It is called the "Brazil House" and can be found in a short street with the name “Brazil Lane”. Because of their agricultural skills, they started plantations of
mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
,
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
, beans, and other vegetables. They brought also skills such as
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
techniques,
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
,
carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. C ...
,
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
ing, gold smithing, tailoring, amongst others, which certainly improved the quality of life of the whole community. Nowadays the Taboms are completely integrated into Ghanaian society and are a part of the
Ga-Adangbe people The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga or Gan and Dangbe or Dangme people are grouped as part of the Ga–Dangme languages, Ga–Dangme Ethnolinguistics, ethnolinguistic group. The ...
.


See also

* Azumah Nelson


External links


Short History of the Tabom People, Courtesy of the Brazilian Embassy in Accra, Ghana

Book "Tabom. The Afro-Brazilian Community in Ghana"


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tabom People Afro-Brazilian people Repatriated Africans People of Liberated African descent Brazilian diaspora in Africa Ethnic groups in Ghana