MASQUERADE JAM MASSIVE – This Wed. April 17th

Step into Accra’s intergalactic MASQUERADE JAM on Wednesday, April17th as we prelude party our way to Chale Wote 2013 [Save the Date: September 7 + 8, 2013 in James Town].

MIX MASTA AMBOLLEY: THE RAP GOD

by Sionne Neely

*This is an excerpt from a fuller article originally printed in Jive magazine, Accra [June 2008]. Double-click on photos to enlarge.

GYEDU-BLAY AMBOLLEY’s Sekunde Album Launch, @AFAccra [June 21 2012]

He sounded like a Black Panther on the phone. Voice all deep and guttural like he had been cussing out “the Man” all day. I imagined him with a black beret cocked to the side and a matching leather jacket, right fist raised in the air, his left fingers coiled tightly around a megaphone.

The Big Fun Party We Had At IND!E FUSE 2012

FOKN Jam by OneFotos

story by Mantse Aryeequaye + Sionne Neely

IND!E FUSE 2012 was the most exciting, lavishly intense live show by any group of artists in Accra.  16 music acts participated – each creating their own version of an Accra indie monstrosity – dropkicking through live bass, synth harmonics and drum rhythms with menacingly cinematic vamps.

Approximately 1600 indie music fans jammed over the two day music event with headliners FOKN BOIS and Tawiah causing an almighty ruckus. In just two years, IND!E FUSE has quickly become the place for exposing music lovers to new and groundbreaking artists from Ghana, Africa and abroad.

SANKWAS BOIS

At the mainstage show, rapper duo and IND!E FUSE MCs, The Sankwas Bois [aka Mutombo da Poet and Simpol Tinz], STILL have people in stitches with their animated antics and raw, hilarious improvisation.

The DUSTLYVE Booth was in full effect for the first hour of the show – with Kobby Graham and DJ Kev spinning dopeness as the audience strolled in.

KOBBY GRAHAM | DJ KEV

DJ KEV SPINS

The F.O.K.N BOIS delivered their zombie apocalypse lyrics with a raw, funked-out fusion sound. As chaotic as their music may seem, in reality the duo are exceptionally tight and well-rehearsed which is crucial for pulling off their ingenuous shtick.

FOKN FLOSS

FOTO REWIND: INDIE FUSE 2012 [Day 2]

Take a peek at these cool visuals from the mainstage IND!E FUSE 2012 show at Alliance Francaise.

*Unmarked photos by Mantse Aryeequaye. All other images were captured by OneFotos.

The Ga Greek God’s Azonto

Mutombo da Poet’s Vibe

M3NSA | Simpol Tinz

Lady Jay’s Ha!

Paapa’s Song

REWIND: BLITZ the AMBASSADOR x LES NUBIANS [ACCRA, OCT. 2011]

BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR rocks KAYOBI CLOTHING | ACCRA, OCT. 2011

Nothing like a new year to get you easing on down memory lane. While tripping through our archive this morning, we came across these behind-the-scenes shots of Blitz the Ambassador and Les Nubians rehearsing before that killer live homecoming show at Alliance Française back in October 2011. The concert also marked The Ambassador’s first time performing in Ghana in 10 years.

In retrospect, this was the joint that revealed the pulse of the Accra indie music scene in all it’s raw and vibrant glory. We ain’t been the same since.

Brother Blitz, the folks wanna know – when are we on again?

Photos by our Co-Director – Mantse Aryeequaye – for ACCRA [dot] ALT.

Hélène and Célia Faussart Are Les Nubians

THE MIGHTY HORNS

Hélène

Célia

BEHIND THE SCENES: IND!E FUSE 2012 Sound Check

EBEN’S HIP HOP

Peruse through our garden of IND!E FUSE 2012 images. One month later, folks are still chatting up the two-day December concert – including many a request for IND!E FUSE twice a year?!! Wow Fam.

Check out these behind-the-scenes photos of the artists and crew at sound check before the main stage show at Alliance Française that beautiful Saturday night in December.

All Photos Taken by ACCRA [dot] ALT.

SOUND CHECK 1-2, 1-2

DJ KEV | KOBBY GRAHAM | BADBOY STELOO

CRUSH ME FOR DEH FRONT

M3NSA | KOBBY GRAHAM

TAWIAH’S IN THE BLDG

TAWIAH | WANLOV

IND!E FUSE 2012: Tawiah’s in the Building [Accra]

TAWIAH

We’re literally freaked that TAWIAH is rocking IND!E FUSE this year on Sat. Dec. 15th at Alliance Francaise. We’ve been fans for a stone cold minute now – ESPECIALLY after she made jaws drop and tongues seize at PY Annan’s Bless the Mic Christmas Concert in 2008. And it was on an impromptu tip at that, chale.

Bold, out-there-somewhere chords, funky confidence and a laid-back spirit. Did we say we’re amped?

Tawiah’s back in Ghana for the first time in four years and boy, has this London gal been busy. She’s worked on tracks with literally everyone – including Cee-Lo, Wale, Eric Lau, GhostPoet, Smiler + Professor Green and Mark Ronson among a slew of other dope artists.

Peep homegirl in action with Mark Ronson’s band making Glastonbury [2008] go wild:

 

And ripping it at a Put Me On It event in London:

Catch TAWIAH live at IND!E FUSE 2012 | @TawiahMusic

IND!E FUSE Returns December 2012

OH CHALE! We are backononono for a third time with IND!E FUSE, the illest live music show in Accra this December at Alliance Francaise. To get you in the spirit, we’re dropping the trailer from last December’s show. Relive the copious amounts of fun had by all with just a click of a button.

In case you missed out, here’s a recap:

Oodles + noodles of cool folk jam-pack the joint out – holiday visitors returning home from the U.S., U.K. + beyond bond tight with the hometown crowd – PY Annan + @MutomboDaPoet keep the crowd amped with their side-splitting, funnyman antics – Mawuli Fudoglo + Tacitus the Greek Ga God take over the stage to show everyone the proper way to azonto – Kobby Graham aka The Funky Professor keeps it smoove + ever-funky as our resident wax selecta – Ananse aka Old Dad bumrushes eager fans who get too close to the stage then suddenly transforms into a freeze! pop-n-lock mime dancer making you wonder what the flipmode squad hell is going on?!

 B.I.L.S. Rayoe surprises the audience with a kick-ass painted acrobatic troupe that eats fire – Azizaa performs her psycho-tropic myth music in the stands – Jojo Abot brings down the house with her natty Afro funk punk sound – The SANKWAS BOIS stir the pot with their tripped-up pidgen headbangas – Holla Blak casts spells with ther pan-African sticky icky lullabies (roll your blunt with that) – Lady Jay’s super-heroine sultry anthems hit you like an Accra heatwave – Steloo + Yaw P make you jump jump to their hypnotic house beats – Kofi BeatMenace and the Smol Smol Distins Band wreak havoc with their folk monster jams – Jayso, Shaker, Rumor and Sandra of Skillions Records kill it with their edgy yet charismatic bass bumpers – Yaa Pono and FaintMedal debut their now classic “I Dey Feel You Die” and create an infectious, all-out luvfest – and Wanlov the Kubolor spouts spoken word gems then unwraps his Christmas present for all to see.

WANLOV THE KUBOLOR IN ACTION @ IND!E FUSE

WELL, DAYUM. If you are digging all that, you won’t believe what we have in store for you this December.

So, get krunk. We’re live from the Ghana Space Station, baby, and beaming straight into your speakers. MO VIM coming your way real soon.

IND!E FUSE returns this December 2012.