How to MC a Ghanaian Funeral Reception like a Professional

BEFORE THE EVENT STARTS

Preliminary Steps

After you have agreed to MC the funeral reception, ask the event planner to confirm the venue. These days, Google Map makes it easy for you to get your bearings right so ask for a Google location. Plot the journey from your starting point on the event day so you get an idea of how long it will take for you to get to the venue. Always add 30 to 60 minutes to your travel time to account for traffic on the route. Remember a professional MC is always early.
Confirm date and time of the event as well as the dress code. In Ghana, you’ll expect to see mourners on the burial day dressed in black, red or even dark brown. For the thanksgiving service after burial, the colours could be black, white or even blue (also called black and white for some odd reason!). As the de facto host of the event, you must be in sync with the dress code so you don’t stick out.

Alert The Planner

As soon as you get to the venue, call, SMS or WhatsApp the planner to let her know you have arrived. This simple act will differentiate you from 90% of other MCs. Usually on the day of the event, the planner is being pulled apart with the stress of juggling several items on her to-do list. So knowing the MC is on site gives her one less thing to worry about.

Meet the DJ

The DJ is an important person. Without him and his sound system, you will have to shout to be heard. So introduce yourself to the DJ. The professional way to do this is to say “Hello, I’m the MC for the day. I’m [Insert Your Name] and you are…” while stretching a hand of greeting to the DJ. Invariably he will give you his name. Use his name often in the next few minutes when you are testing the microphone so you can remember it during the event. Remember DJs, just like everybody else, love it when you call them by name. It creates a personal bond quickly. Never refer to him as “DJ” (too generic) or worse “Hey DJ!” when you want him to turn the volume down during the event. You don’t want him to feel disrespected and to deny you of the cooperation you need to make the event a success.

There may be a band and cultural troupes in attendance to provide entertainment. Introduce yourself to their leaders and confirm their names so you can introduce them professionally when the time comes.

Tour The Venue

Before the guests arrive, take a walk around the perimeter of the event space. Check to hear what the output from the loudspeakers sounds like. Find out where the washrooms are located so you can help guests who need to use the ladies and gents. Know where the box for funeral donations and the book of condolences are placed as well of the names of the people in charge of those functions. “Nihad is taking your donations” and “Mary is in charge of the book of condolences” is more personal than “Give your donations here” or “Sign the book of condolences over there”. As a professional MC, your role is to bring a personal touch to the event, make the guests comfortable and have answers to any questions they may have. If you don’t have the information, you won’t be helpful to the guests.

Know The Key People

It goes without saying that the event planner is one of the key people at the funeral reception. Liaise with her to find out how the vent will flow from beginning to end and how refreshments and food will be served.

Funerals in Ghana are organized by the family of the deceased. As such the family head is a key person who must work with. Know who you are dealing with. For patrilineal people such as the Dagomba, Ewe and Ga, that person will often be the oldest person from the family of the father of the deceased. With matrilineal societies such as the Asante, Fanti and Nzema, the head will be the oldest person from the family of the mother of the deceased. Your job as a professional MC is to work closely with that person. Often the event officially begins when the family head says so. He or she may be the one to welcome guests to the reception or delegate someone to perform that role. At times, the head may even perform the vote of thanks or authorize someone to do so on behalf of the family.

Be on the lookout for VIPs and traditional leaders. Approach them, introduce yourself and ask for their names and titles so you can acknowledge them during the event. Always go to the source! Once I asked a member of a chief’s retinue for his leader’s name. After writing it down, I decided to confirm from the chief himself only to find out that his subject had misled me! Don’t make that mistake.

Other key people include the ushers for welcoming guests, waiters for serving refreshments and the caterer.

DURING THE EVENT

Opening Connections

A good way to quickly connect with the audience is to learn how to greet and thank people in their mother tongues. When faced with an audience whose mother tongue is different from yours, a simple “Good afternoon” or “Thank you” in their language can work wonders. Find someone in the audience who can teach you basic phrases and make sure you write them down in such a way that you get the pronunciation right. As Ghanaian languages are tonal, a wrong pronunciation could have you saying something completely different from what you intended!

The funeral reception begins with a call to order from the MC. Generally the tone you strike in your opening remarks should be one of reverence and respect. After all this is a sad day as a loved one has just been buried. The opening prayer is performed by a priest followed by a welcome address by the family head. If he or she does not do it, be prepared as the MC to play that role. Let the guests know where the restrooms are as well as the donation box and book of condolences. In collaboration with the event planner, announce that refreshments will be served. That will give the cue for the ushers to spring into action.

During The Reception

Funeral receptions are unique in the sense that for most of the time, guests will be seated listening to music from the DJ, band or cultural troupe and chatting with family, friends and loved ones. In Ghanaian culture, people attend funeral receptions not only to socialize but also greet relatives of the deceased. One of your roles is to make an announcement when a guest or groups such as work colleagues and old school associations are ready to greet the family.

Sporadically you will be called upon to acknowledge special guests. Ensure that you get their names and titles right (see “Know The Key People”)
As the MC one of your roles is to announce the names of donors. Check from the event planner whether you can announce how much donors have given or not.

Sometimes you may be called upon to make an announcement asking “The owner Black KIA with registration number GT 6789-24, please move so a guest can leave”. Verify that the announcement is a genuine one as some guests have been known to play pranks.

ENDING THE EVENT

Winding Down

After the vote of thanks, you step in on behalf of the family to wish those who are leaving a safe journey. Some guests may decide to stay a bit longer and so you can thank them for staying on.

Professional MC, your work is done!

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By Kafui Dey