Held my first ever class at Ashesi yesterday. The course I teach is called ‘Text & Meaning‘ and – long story short – it teaches you not what to think (like most courses I went through in Ghana) but rather how to think, analyze and process information. Like teaching you how to fish, instead of just giving you fish. It is one of the foundations to all courses taught at Ashesi and is compulsory for every first year student.
For my first lesson, I took Ashesi’s 2015 class through practical criticism. My choice of text was the song ‘No Church in the Wild’ by The Throne (aka. Jay-Z and Kanye West), a song I picked in consultation with DUST’s resident music expert (and Ashesi alumnus), Eli Tetteh. I know some people think I’m some kind of music guru. But even music gurus need music gurus.
After giving everyone the lyrics, I played the song to the class. Then I encouraged them to look first for literary patterns and devices in Jay’s verse, then to use those patterns and devices to inform their impressions of what the verse means; asking them to justify their impressions exclusively through the words in front of them. They had to leave all their preconceived notions at the door.
[Hook: Frank Ocean] Human beings in a mob What’s a mob to a king? What’s a king to a God? What’s a God to a non-believer who don’t believe in anything? Will he make it out alive? Alright, alright, no church in the wild
[Jay-Z] Tears on the mausoleum floor / Blood stains the Colosseum doors Lies on the lips of priests / Thanksgiving disguised as a feast Rolling in a Rolls Royce Corniche Only the doctors got this / I’m hiding from police Cocaine seats / All white like I got the whole thing bleached Drug dealer chic / I’m wondering if a thug’s prayers reach Is Pious pious cause God loves pious? Socrates asked / Whose bias do y’all seek? All for Plato… screech / I’m out here balling, I know y’all hear my sneaks Jesus was a carpenter / Yeezy he laid beats Hova flow the Holy Ghost / Get the hell up out your seats… Preach
I took two sets of students through the exercise. Some thought it was simply anti-Christian and did not really move beyond that. Others delved a little deeper and were able to see (class) struggle, inequality and even anarchy in between the lines. In case you’re interested, Rap Genius does a pretty good job of explaining the verse.
The first group found more ideas; ideas expressed by a broader range of students than in the second group. However, their justifications for those ideas were influenced by things outside of the text, like the popular idea that Jay-Z worships the Devil. So – overall – I’d say the second group won this round. Besides seeing more patterns and devices, they also pulled out more ideas and were (mostly) able to do so without drawing on sources, ideas or notions outside the text, which is the whole point of close reading. That said, some students from Group B told me they were worried about how they would fare on the course.
Luckily for them, Ashesi offers its students lots of support (if only they choose take it). At the Learning Lab (in which I play a role), for example, they can take their essays and assignments and receive help, all the way from conceptualization right through to reviewing their work for grammatical errors. The Lab is only there to guide students though. We cannot do the work for them.
In a country whose education system awards following instructions and ‘chew and pour’, Ashesi is wired to teach you to think, criticize, argue and innovate. How else are we going to move forward?
It’s a two-way challenge: one faced by students unused to critical thinking, as well as by their lecturers, who have to figure out how to undo years of ‘chew and pour’ and teach students not what to think but how to think. It’s my duty as a teacher to try and connect with all my students, especially those who find my course difficult.
It’s a challenge I look forward to.
Everyday.
Thanks to Courage Ahiati for suggesting I write this post.
The following are the words of my friend, Golda Addo. I thought it important to share them with everyone. Apologies if you have already heard it on Citi.
“This morning, at about 7.38 am, I was physically assaulted in my car, on the Mallam-Weija Highway by a man of about mid-thirties, about 5’11 tall, toughly built … dressed in black office shirt and tucked into black denim trousers, black belt, black office shoes, holding a black briefcase. I did not see his face very well though. It all happened in under 1 minute.
“I was sending my son to school, and you all might know that there is major construction going on in that part of town (the highway).
Traffic was moving in short, fast spurts and normally, traffic wardens stop the vehicles to permit masses of people to cross at points in time.
“This man was standing WITH a large mass of people all in SAME spot, and we were moving at about 30kmp/h, when just about 10 metres before I got to him, he dashed across my car. Nobody else made any move to cross.
“Needless to say, I had to stop abruptly. He had looked at me before dashing across, and had expected me to have screeched to a halt, so took his time. By the time he realised that 10 metres was too short for this to be a safe calculation, he was left with no choice, but to hop and leap …. into the middle of the road, where the cars to my left were also passing by without stopping.
“He was trapped in the middle, I made a sharp brake, the car behind me was blowing his horn like crazy, and next thing I knew, this man swings in my direction and flies his hand in through my half-open window and strikes my face with what seemed like all his might! His parting words were “You fool!”
“I was instantly down, my head was on the steering wheel, my son burst into tears in the back seat, and my face hurt like crazy. I could not see anything and there was blood in my mouth. The man was nowhere to be found, and cars just kept passing me by, especially the ones behind me who saw it all. Several passersby chased after the man though, and tried to catch him, but he was already over the other 4 lanes of the highway and in the tro-tro huddle.
“I had to move off the road and park, but for 5 minutes I was unable to do this because my right eye was fairly swollen, and both eyes were tearing up. My mouth was like “tsofi” and bleeding. Cars honking like mad behind me, and my son wailing …. the passersby talkgin me through it all.
“I decided to leave it be, and drive on slowly …. I did have to get my son to school on time after all.
“The police team (of 4) standing about 20 metres fro the scene did not notice any of these in all the 5 minutes it happened, nor the traffic jam it caused.
“I feel so safe in this country. This is not my first time of facing abuse and harrasmment as a woman, a woman who drives, and a woman who is perceived as successful and independent in this country … from men. But this is my first physical abuse.
“If anyone can spread this message, I will appreciate it. If you know of any friend, co-worker, acquaintance who fits this bill for today, was in the Mallam area this morning, seems a bit out of sorts this morning, etc … find out for me. If you can, pass this on. If you know anyone on the social platforms …. do share to them. I’d like to meet this man and ask him why he did this, and if it felt good … striking a woman in the face, and leaving her and her son in tears.”
Blitz landed in Accra about a week ago to promote this concert. Ms. Naa & DUST Magazine had been talking/blogging it up for months. It had no sponsorship from any big telecom company paying for loud radio adverts or TV spots splashed in bright primary colours. All it took was a little help from his friends, including Ms. Naa, Blitz’ younger brother, Mantse of Accra[Dot]Alt and a few more good people (including yours truly). Blitz worked hard to make actual appearances on a couple of key TV and radio shows (and an album signing at the Accra Mall) but beyond that, it was down to the buzz we generated on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. To see Alliance Francaise packed last night was a testament to something I find myself speaking about a lot lately: our ability to do things for ourselves (NB: This same spirit of youth activism is being harnessed to fuel revolutions, riots and occupations in other parts of the world…)
2. Alliance Francaise
Alliance turned out to be a nice location for this event. It is by no means a perfect venue (as the rain would later demonstrate) but they were well-equipped enough to show Blitz’ ‘Native Sun’ movie without any major hitches and there remains an appeal to its open-air amphitheater structure. Plus, Alliance always holds it down for arts and entertainment in Accra. They deserve applause for that. Minus points for upping the show fee from GHc8 to GHc10 though. It was funny when Blitz said something on stage about people playing GHc8 to get in and people in the audience started shouting, “Ten Cedis! Ten Cedis!”
3. The Crowd
Alliance was packed last night. It was a combination of Alliance regulars, young Ghanaians and artisans, Americans brought down by the Blitz-affiliated MoCaDa and people you might not expect at a Blitz concert (shoutouts to Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Awuah). The combination meant there was massive crowd response and people to connect with all the different parts of the performance, whether hiplife, highlife, hiphop or any of the other many genres touched upon.
4. Native Sun: the Movie
It was good to see the film Blitz shot right here in Ghana (with director Terrence Nance) being played in Ghana. In fact, I am loving the fact that Ghanaian directors based abroad are making more of a habit to get their films shown here. This was a better cut of the film (I think it was in the sound editing) than the one I saw on Youtube and it made it so much better. It’s a poetic, abstract kind of film in parts and with such things, there is always a worry that it won’t go down well. It got a very healthy crowd response though.
5. Armand Ntep
Ntep started the show off with his juju/neo-soul stylings. His voice was very clearly his instrument as he did vocal exercises on stage and at one point even used it as a trumpet. Unfortunately, there was a massive sound problem during his set which muted his performance somewhat. Nevertheless, he was quite the professional and never made his disappointment apparent. He tried other mics and – realizing no immediate salvation was at hand – he soldiered on. For which he earns my gratitude and respect.
6. Les Nubians
Les Nubians were the definition of beautiful and they warmed the crowd up very nicely. They started with familiar songs like ‘Demain‘, ‘Makeda‘ and their remake of Sade’s ’Sweetest Taboo‘, but it was when they went into unfamiliar territory with ‘Afro Dance‘ (during which they poked friendly fun at relaxed hair) and especially ‘New Soul Makossa‘ (a remake of the Manu Dibango classic that has been sampled by everyone from Michael Jackson (on ‘Wanna Be Starting Something‘)to Rihanna (‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’) and J-Lo) that they had a wave of people invade the bottom of the stage to dance. They even made jabs at France. From inside Alliance Francaise. And lived.
7. The Dancing
I’ve not seen that many people at the front dancing at Alliance since Wunmi. The entire part between the stage and the seats was one big dancefloor. It started during Les Nubians’ performance and became really animated during Blitz’. I was really surprised by how much there was to dance to. Blitz album – though brilliant – is not an album to dance to but rather one to bump to, soak up and absorb. But the way his band interpreted the songs, infusing them with afrobeat and old school hip-hop and hiplife? Man… no one could keep their feet still. Even those in the stands.
8. The Rain
In the end, running from the rain and coming back only added to the experience. Just like it apparently did during last weekend’s Movado concert, the rain first threatened us with thick clouds. People started running for cover when droplets started falling during Les Nubians. It let up for a minute and people returned but everybody scattered for shelter when it started pouring down big time. Just before Blitz and the Embassy Ensemble were due on stage too. For a few minutes, it looked like the night was ruined. Some left. Most however stayed. After a few minutes, the rain subsided and BOY were we rewarded.
9. The Ensemble Band
Blitz’ band was RIDICULOUSLY tight. This was a lot more than being up there and knowing how to play to someone’s song. This wasn’t the band playing hits at your local three star hotel. With their black trousers, white shirts, black ties hanging loose and trainers, these guys were dressed the part. They followed Blitz every hand movement. There were even parts of the performance where the whole band would follow Blitz lead to march and salute, or follow him around the stage or crouch to the floor and suddenly play their instruments quietly while Blitz whispered into the mic before starting to shout at which point they would all jump up, beating drums more ferociously, blaring horns louder and picking strings harder. The way they blended tracks too. They played the intro to ‘Rapper’s Delight‘ as Blitz rhymed old school Rakim, then played James Brown horns while he recited the “engine, engine number nine” chorus of Black Sheep’s ‘The Choice Is Yours (This or That)‘… on and on, running through Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s ‘TROY‘, the bassline from Digable Planets ‘Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)‘, A Tribe Called Quest, and – triumphantly and to a roar from the crowd – Tupac & Dre’s, “California Love”.
I blogged the other day about the Geraldino Pino effect (please read the Guardian’s obituary of Pino to understand how he changed the face of music not just in Ghana or his native Sierra Leone, but in Africa as a whole). With Accra’s recent resurrection in live music, I believe Ghana is capable of creating a band like this. But if they already exist, I’m yet to see them.
10. The Politics
Les Nubians started it and Blitz finished it. “Look what they did to Nkrumah. Look what they did to Lumumba. Look what they did to Sankara…” Blitz album infused with politics and he did not shy away from it. He impersonated Nkrumah at one point and also played a sample of Osagyefo speaking of African unity. He spoke about what it was like to wake up to a coup. There was even a call & response involving the words, “Free your mind” and “colonial mentality”. You can be critical of the status quo without making it an NDC versus NPP thing. There are bigger issues and those were what Blitz spoke to. And he pulled this off without ever making the whole thing about politics or dampening the high everyone was feeling from the music.
11. Blitz the Ambassador
The performance obviously meant a lot to Blitz. This was his homecoming performance. Like Madison Square Garden to Mary J Blige or Jay Z. His first time bringing his band to Ghana. His first time performing in Ghana in ten years.
He was a man possessed. Energy be what?
He had enough charisma to fill the stage but it was interesting to hear all the Madina inflections in his voice as he rhymed as they weren’t on the album. There are several moments on Native Sun where he rhymes at speeds most rappers dare not touch. Trust me: those moments sound even better live. That aside, Blitz was a real showman. He would give hand signals to his band and they would follow. His anecdotes were on point. His call and response was on point. He rocked out. He mellowed everything down when he needed to before exploding back like a one man nation of millions incapable of being held back. Like Samini (another master of performance). He was up and down the stage. He paid his respects to Reggie Rockstone and Hammer. After the band left, Ms. Naa and I started screaming ‘Encore, encore…’. Host PY Addo (Bless the Mic, The One Show) picked up on it and asked if we wanted more. After the roar he received in response, Blitz knew he had to come back out. He performed his old hit with Deeba… or tried to. When he forgot the words, the crowd filled them in for him. Then he ended everything with the album’s title track, with its classic refrain, “Aye, aye / Aye, aye… Masan aba o” (I have returned).
This was not just a return. It was a scorching-hot masterclass in the art of performance.
I cannot tell you how much you slacked if you didn’t make it (or left halfway through).
Four of my favourite Ghanaian musicians are making moves at the minute. I’ve already waxed lyrical today about the Blitz the Ambassador concert with Les Nubians & VIP at Alliance Francaise this weekend. One day, God will grant me my wish of seeing Blitz , M3nsa, Wanlov the Kubolor and m.anifest on one stage, right here in Ghana. Meanwhile, I will settle for performances, new albums and new videos.
M.anifest
Gangstarr’s Guru (RIP) once famously rapped that “It’s mostly the voice that lifts you up / It’s mostly the voice that makes you buck / A lot of rappers got flavour and some got skill / But if your voice ain’t dope, then you need to chill…“
M Dot Dot Dot Ti Dot has one of the most distinctive voices in Ghanaian music. It’s not his accent but rather his voice itself. Or maybe his flow. It has a dash of baritone about it. Whatever it is, it’s certainly smooth on the ear.
Fest has dropped a new album… and it’s a good one. Just ask Kojo Baffoe. In a similar vein to Wanlov’s ‘Green Card‘ and Blitz the Ambassador’s ‘Native Sun‘, the new album hinges primarily on the experiences of the Ghanaian forced to live abroad… he who can only come home for short amounts of time. Though it deals with similar themes though, m.anifest’s new album is all his own.
What sets Coming to America apart for me is that there is something on there for everyone. Want some afrobeat? Try ‘Motherland’. Something for the club? ‘One Night Only’ (featuring Eldee Da Don) will get any club popping. Prefer your beats reggae-influenced? ‘Fest has that ‘Fiyah’ for you. Something mellow? ‘Blue’ is music to chill to. ‘Asa’ is a little more experimental in terms of how it takes a traditional beat arrangement and modernizes it. It’s a very nice track, although I feel like Efya (though good) didn’t quite knock this one out of the park the way she usually does.
My personal favourite track is ‘Sunsum Praye’ on which m.anifest spits almost entirely in Twi over a moody, syncopated broken beat courtesy of Kweku Ananse. It comes right at the end of the album and it sounds quite unlike any other Ghanaian song I have ever heard. The drum beat sounds like something traditional that has been sped up and yet it sounds very futuristic. The keys mellow me out. The horns speak of ancestry and reverence. I would love to hear more Ghanaian music in this vein.
First and foremost though, m.anifest is a hiphop MC. Straight no chaser and when it comes to straight hiphop, there is loads to bop your head to here, especially when m.anifest rhymes over beats by his regular partners in musical crime, Budo of Rhymesayers and G-Mo.
‘Immigrant Chronicles: Coming to America’ is a solid collection of songs from a solid MC.
M3nsa
I’m beefing with M3nsa. He has a track called ‘When It Rains It Pours’. It was the first song I heard him sing on. My problem? It’s too short. Pound for pound, there are few Ghanaian artists who can step to M3nsa. He is a chameleon of a producer. The M3nsa who produced, rapped and sang ‘Laurian’ seems a different MC to the one who is now one-half of the FOKN Bois (with Wanlov). Yet, the two are one and the same. A fool may make the mistake of thinking that the FOKN Bois’ humour is plain bufoonery, but – like all the best comedy – there are hidden meanings to be pondered and thought through, and at least half of that comes from M3nsa.
I love his new single, ‘Fanti Love Song’ (taken from his album, No. 1 Mango Street). Have done since I first heard the track on Ms. Naa’s ‘Ryse & Shine’ show. It’s underscored by the same chords as Deniece Williams’ ‘Free‘ and is at least as breezy as that song, partly because of the all guitar work going on in the background, but also the lightness of M3nsa’s singing voice. It’s at least loosely-based on ‘Tsena Me Nkyen‘ by Paapa Yankson, although M3nsa’s take on it is very, very stripped down. I have a feeling that fans of the original might scream ‘sacrilege’ but I think it’s cool to hear anyone from this generation taking cues from the one before it, especially over instrumentation this nice.
Mr. Hagan has posted the new video. Check it out here.
You may also want to visit This is Africa for my review of Wanlov the Kubolor‘s Brown Card: African Gypsy.
“No matter how hard your single jammed last year or how tenaciously your auto-tune anthems clung to the Billboard charts… if you can’t ascend that stage and leave it sufficiently scorched, you’re not taking my ticket money…” - Eli Tetteh, “Rhymes & Rip Offs“, DUST Magazine (March 2011)
Hiplife is moving away from the days of ”Yo! Mic check one two! DJ! Play the next track! Track three! Track three…! ” Many artists are still complacent though, relying on people knowing their songs at live performances. Why not give the people a little bit more though?
The performers I respect the most are those who are able to mount a stage and get you moving to the songs you don’t know. It’s a rare gift but – besides having amazing music – a large part of it is to do with showmanship, and it requires a little bit more than what may have worked for you during Records Night at your old boarding school. If you pull it off though? Even those who don’t know you or your music will be scrambling out of your concert to buy it.
My father says Ghanaian music changed completely after Geraldino Pino and his band came to town. Pino was a Sierra Leonean musician who was playing around the same time as Fela Kuti. I was once told that he invented the afrobeat sound that Fela would later perfect, but Dele Sosimi corrected my misconception. Pino did, at the very least though, influence Fela on his journey to become (in my eyes) Africa’s greatest ever musician.
Dad tells me that Pino played his first ever Ghanaian shows in Kumasi. Few really knew who he was initially. However, his band were so good that, by the time he got to Accra, hype had preceded him and tickets were completely sold out.
His Accra performances lived up to the hype and, afterwards, secondary schools across the country lined up to form school bands trying to emulate Pino’s James-Brown-Meets-African sound. The way Dad tells it, those performances changed the face of music in Ghana.
Enter Blitz the Ambassador, Les Nubians and VIP from stage left.
This Saturday, Blitz the Ambassador will be playing Alliance Francaise. Right here in Accra. I’m pretty sure it’s for only five cedis too [CORRECTION: turns out it's GHc8... still pretty damn cheap though]. Friends of mine who have seem them play abroad tell me that Blitz and his boys are incredible live performers. His album (which I have already raved about on this blog) struck an amazing balance between hiphop and classic Ghanaian highlife. It already sounds live and so it should be quite an experience hearing his band, the Embassy Ensemble, playing it gani-gani.
Accra is already experiencing a bit of a live music resurrection so I am not expecting a revolution. It would however be cool if kids are inspired by Blitz’s particular blend of hiphop and highlife to experiment more with older, less-synthesized highlife. I’m not saying that everyone should start sounding old school. There are several ways to flip it though. Kweku Anansi and DJ Juls are two of my favourite Ghanaian producers and both make amazing beats that sound both fresh and classic.
Blitz will be joined onstage by Afro neo-soul sirens, Les Nubians (who also feature on his album), the Grammy Award nominated duo best known here for ‘Makeda‘ and their remake of Sade’s ‘Sweetest Taboo‘ (featuring the Roots), as well as ‘Temperature Rising‘ (which featured Talib Kweli). Topping it all off are Blitz’ old friends (back from when he was called Bazaar), VIP. The boys from Nima have been killing it since their recent return to the music scene. I saw them perform ‘I Think I Like Am‘ on Big Brother and their energy was crazy.
All that. For only eight cedis. Chale, Saturday night at Alliance may be one for the history books.
I’d love to wish Osagyefo a ‘happy’ birthday but I don’t think he’d be amused if he were around today (and I’m not the only one who thinks this).
A new issue of DUST is just about to hit the streets. Our theme this time around is ‘people’s politics’. By very kind courtesy of the Mmofra Foundation, we picked a picture by the classic American/Ghanaian photographer, Willis Bell and put a DUSTy spin on it.
I’m not the biggest fan of Ghana’s politicians. I’m sure some of them have good intentions. Some may even act on those intentions. I believe they do far less than they could though. To do more would require real courage and sacrifice. Leadership. The people I see leading us don’t seem like revolutionaries. They seem like people who toe the line. A few don’t. Many seem to be there for perks though. Others fell by the wayside or were overwhelmed by the System. They would all rather be a part of the System than fight it. Fighting would be too hard.
The worst thing I ever hear is “Oh God no: I don’t do politics.” It’s a truly terrible and tragic thing to say. Politics is a lot more than the circus you see day in and day out in the media. No one would want to be a part of that. Look up its definition and you’ll find that politics actually refers to how we make decisions and solve our problems. So if politicians are not solving your problems, they are not actually doing politics. They are doing something else, and you should not vote for them.
I believe in the ‘Can Do‘ attitude that existed in Nkrumah’s time. Fresh from kicking our colonial oppressors out of Ghana, people back then had this spirit of ability. We believed in ourselves. Paa. In our potential and our ability to effect change. We lost that in subsequent years. Now we have a ‘Can’t Do‘ attitude. How many times have you had an idea you believed in shot down by the people around you? Often? That’s that ‘Can’t Do‘ attitude in action, telling you that your idea will not work; that the things you are passionate about are irrelevant; that people will point fingers at you and judge you; that you will fail; that you must toe the line. Screw toeing the line though. The line is what has gotten us to where we are today.
Break the mould.
I see flashes of that ‘Can Do‘ attitude coming back. I don’t see it in our politicians. I see it in us. In the people that my role as an editor, a lecturer, as an arts activist and as a Ghanaian brings me into contact with. Me? I put the people who inspire me in the magazine I edit and try to amplify their message. I try to challenge received wisdom and force the people around me to think critically. As Ashesi University College’s latest lecturer, I will also be trying to inspire and teach the next wave of Ghanaians to do the same.
It’s not a lot, but I’m doing something. You should too. This Founder’s Day, don’t just enjoy the time off.
Do something… and don’t listen when they tell you you ‘Can’t Do’ it.
Yaa Pono: hands DOWN, one of Ghana’s best new and most charismatic rappers (from what is currently the one area generating the most heat in hiplife: Tema)?
Check.
Efya: the most naturally-gifted, equally-as-charismatic, sexy-assed singer singing her ass off in Ghana today?
Check.
Direction from King Luu, the director of ‘Coz Ov Moni‘ – one of Ghana’s best cinematic offerings of recent times?
Check.
(Said director making his crush on said singer a little too apparent.)
(Check.)
(Me sympathizing.)
(Check.)
Dope threads by the very dope Atsu?
Check.
Cameo appearance by the current holder of the crown, Sarkodie?
Check.
(Cameos so cameo’ed that I still can’t see where Wanlov & Macho Rapper are?)
(Check.)
Song produced by the (less-and-less) slept-on underground genius that is DJ Juls?
Check.
Artist from roster of Ghana’s most consciously African label, Pidgen Music?
Check.
(Pidgen music’s ‘love of the ladies’ on full display…)
(Check: besides the boys eyeing Efya down paa, Mr. Pono looked like he was ready to chop both the waakye and its seller. Sexual tension be what?)
A simple celebration of the creativity involved in simply living one’s morning hustle in Ghana today (complete with a selection of waakye or hausa kooko)?
I’ve written about how talented my family is before and I doubt this will be the last time I do so.
Sorry.
My brother (Metropolis) & his crew, Foreign Beggars, are releasing ‘Badman Riddim’ today with Vato Gonzalez. Apparently, the tune has been doing big things below the surface in the UK.
The video is stupid, funny and really simple, inspired by the Godzilla music sample used in the song (you may remember it from Pharoahe Monch’s Simon Says too).
Sometimes, it doesn’t take a big budget to make a great video: just creativity and a sense of humor (word to Bruno Mars).
Ladies & gentlemen: enjoy the insanity that is Vato Gonzalez feat. Foreign Beggars’ ‘Badman Riddim’.
Blitz the Ambassador on his album, ‘Native Sun‘, the Diaspora, and striking that balance between “where you’re from & where you’re at”
Tributes to DRUM Magazine & iconic Ghanaian photographer, James Barnor
Commentary on Dominique Strauss-Kahn & Ghana’s Sexual Economy / the importance of national planning / what Accra can learn from the Japanese earthquakes / Ghana’s creative industries (or lack thereof)
Interviews with photographer Tobias Freytag (who shot the image of Ebo Taylor on our last cover) & young software visionaries, Nandimobile
A glimpse into the world of underground colt soccer
The latest films, books and sounds coming out of the city
A new guide to events in Accra
… & more.
You can download the whole magazine as a pdf at Scribd or if not, hold tight: the print copy will be at the Silverbird Lifestyle store in a couple of days time.
