Making the Town: Afro-Brazilian Returnees (Tabom) and the Transformation of Accra, Ghana from the Early Colonial Times

During the first half of the 19th century several hundred ex-slaves, freed slaves and wealthy individuals and families of persons of African descent returned to West Africa from Bahia, Brazil. These returnees and their retinue settled in towns such as Lagos, Ouidah, Lome and Accra. The impact of the Afro-Brazilian returnees on the social, cultural and economic lives of the indigenous population amongst whom they settled have been considerable. This paper examines the contribution of the Afro-Brazilian (Tabom) returnees to Accra, particularly from 1820 till 1900. During this period Accra was under Dutch, and later British jurisdiction.

The paper examines the contributions of the Afro-Brazilian returnees to the development of Accra. The Tabom influenced several aspects of the lives and livelihood of the indigenous Ga population including their housing architecture, warfare techniques, music and dance, food, fashion, carpentry, tailoring, and other specialized areas. However, the Tabom were not always a force for good. They were also involved in the ignominious slave trade and slavery in exchange for imported goods. Furthermore, the poor management and internal struggles for land among the Tabom also contributed to the chaotic and poor land management situation in Accra.

Although integrated into the local Ga population, the Tabom have till today cultivated their Afro-Brazilian identity and maintained their unique hybrid culture in Accra. Descendants of the Tabom returnees have over the decades become highly stratified with a small wealthy, educated and cosmopolitan elite living in the leafy suburbs while many others reside in a vibrant, congested but breezy part of Central Accra.