SABOLAI RADIO PLAYLIST

Artist: SONGHOY BLUES

Video Title: AL HASSIDI TEREI

Malian music group Songhoy Blues put out this video for their debut single “Al Hassidi Terei,” off their up coming “Music In Exile” project. The group was formed as reaction to the unrest in Gao in 2012, which displaced them. In their quest not to be ruined by what had happened, they formed the Band. The debut album, “Music In Exile” is due to be released on February 23, 2015.

 

Artist: EMMY GEE

Video Title: RANDS and NAIRA FT. ICE PRINCE, CASSPER NYOVEST, PHYNO, ANATII +

After fair reviews for his debut single “Rands and Naira,” Nigerian rapper Emmy Gee has dropped a video for the remix of “Rand and Naira.” The song features “Alobam” hit maker Phyno, Ice Prince, Anatii, DJ Dimplez, Ab Crazy and Cassper Nyovest. This is a great effort at combating  Xenophobia in South Africa, but African rappers would sound so much better without the “Americanized” lyrics and unnecessary cursing. Its a good remix though to be fair.

NEW MUSIC AFRICA

We found these new jams and thought it wise to share with our readers. The artists below are folks you should be curious about. Enjoy

 

Artist: SIPHO the GIFT Video Title: SOMEWHERE [dir Sam Turpin] Sipho the Gift is originally from Kimberly in SA but is currently based in Stellenbosch. He produces his own music and is an extremely dynamic lyricist quite unique among other South African rappers. He is currently working on his debut project “Coming of Age” which should be out in 2015 and has been in collaboration with US rapper (of Congolese origin) Well$ from Immaculate Taste.

 

 

Artist: ICE PRINCE Video Title: WHISKY FT. SUNNY NEJI Nigerian rapper Ice Prince’s new video”Whiskey”  off his album “Fire Of Zamani”  is a poignant tribute to fallen heros and friends. The Video features legendary Nigerian highlife singer Sunny Neji.

 

CHALE WOTE 2014: THE FILM FESTIVAL

By Jase Tay

FOKN BOIS are coming to Chale Wote 2014 with COS OV MONI

We’re excited about CHALE WOTE 2014 and we can’t wait to see all you fine people out there show up. We have a lot of amazing things happening at this year’s event with an incredible slew of creatives who are sure to blow your mind.

Just like last year’s event, we’re holding a film festival where we’re showcasing what’s new, hot, fresh and upcoming on the continent and beyond, by talented African directors, from all over. We’re showcasing some awesome films you most likely haven’t seen yet, as well as premiering new films and documentaries. Have you seen the incredible Coz ov Moni by our homeboys, the FOKN BOIS? What about Blitz the Ambassador’s Native Sun, Terence Nance‘s phantasmic An Oversimplification of Her Beauty or Giacomo Pecci’s evocative Try and See? You also get to watch a set of stunning music videos that we’re bumping, plus catch up with ACCRA [dot] ALT’s activities.

CHALE WOTE 2014: COME TO THE CENTER OF THE WORLD

Photography by MANTSE ARYEEQUAYE 

As we make ready for endless crowds to “Come to the Center of the World” on August 23 & 24, we give you more images of the artists who will jamming with us at the CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival 2014.

Strolling Goats in Accra with Chale Wote 2014, DJ Steloo

Selorm Jay + Yoyo Tinz are bringing Gbobalor Hiphop to Chale Wote 2014

THE FOURTH CHAPTER: CHALE WOTE 2014

Strolling Goats in Accra with Chale Wote 2014.

Chale Wote 2014 will open with a heady rush of sights, sounds and vibrant creations by Ghanaian and international artists in James Town. This weekend over 200 artists will transform old Accra into a live museum with a long trail of multi-disciplinary art. Festival producers, ACCRA [dot] ALT, are collaborating with REDD Kat Pictures, Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, NO LIMIT Charity and Attukwei Art Foundation for this year’s festival.

This is the fourth edition of the festival since it started in 2011. Last year was a major success and the collective effort of many young people—ranging from artists, musicians and writers to designers, students and activists. The two-day festival will feature graffiti murals, film screenings, theater, installations, live music performances, a fashion circus, extreme sport, dance, spoken word and art workshops.

May #TALKPARTYSERIES: Mensa Highlife + Terrence Nance’s “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty”

We’re back after a short hiatus in April. This time with a two-for-one banger in May.

THE FILM SHOW [begins at 6:00pm]: We are super excited to premiere Terrence Nance’s acclaimed film, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, in Ghana. The film is produced by Jay-Z, Wyatt Cenac, Dream Hampton and Joy Bryant, among others, with the soundtrack created by electric wonder, Flying Lotus. It has played at Sundance and along the global circuit and next Friday the film will debut in Accra.

An Oversimplification is a splendid exploration of love and mourning that blends animation, drama, fantasy and sonic color together. The story follows a quixotic artist who falls for a lovely lady who doesn’t quite fall for him. He then makes a film about their ambiguous affair and shows it to her. Director Terrence Nance will join us for a Q&A via Twitter.

THE LIVE MUSIC SHOW [begins at 8:15pm]: Mensa Highlife grew up in Sweden, the UK and the U.S. The London years shaped him into a full-fledged music producer while the U.S. years shaped an even sharper poet and lyricist. This itinerant lifestyle became the inspiration behind a quirky Jazz-Funk expression that has come to define his art today.

Now back in Ghana and inspired by the traditional mystic of sparse drum rhythms, Mensa Highlife is experimenting with a soulful unity between the past and present. He is currently promoting the single, “Ofori’s Story,” and Mensa will premiere it live at the Talk Party Series this month. He will also be performing songs from an upcoming album.

It’s a free party as usual. Join us for dope dialogues, a cool crowd, ice cold drinks and mad music!

6-9PM | Friday, May 30th | Passions Premium Restaurant | Osu Ringway | 2 streets behind Country Kitchen or 1 street behind Pippa’s Gym

Icon From An African City: MaameYaa Boafo

New York based Ghanaian actress MaameYaa Boafo was in Accra a couple of months ago during the shooting of the web series, An African City. Mantse Aryeequaye took MaameYaa on a walk through the back roads of Dzorwulu, a suburb of Accra, for some photos capturing that “fly Ghana girl back home” vibe. Nana Osei Kwadwo chatted with her later on about An African City.

MaameYaa finds home in Accra!

The first time I saw MaameYaa Boafo in Nicole Amarteifio’s An African City, I thought she was beautiful, fierce and versatile. She stars as one of five women characters, in the webisode, that returns to live in Accra after years of studying and working abroad. Debuting less than a couple months ago, the series has quickly gained a popular online following with major media shout-outs hailing via Ebony Magazine, BBC News, BET and NPR.

With comparisons being made to Sex in the City, the webisode is growing its audience by the day and captivating folks with African fashion, fly natural hairstyles and “awkward African girl” situations as the women support one another in acclimating to life in Ghana again.

Taking a Royal walk on the highway.

MaameYaa has lived most of her life traveling around the globe but currently calls New York City home. She’s now working on a new project with renowned African American novelist and playwright, Walter Mosley, as well as a few new films.

Curious to know more about MaameYaa, I caught up with her recently to chat about acting, what it means to be Ghanaian, and her role in An African City.

2/28: TAWIAH x The Talk Party Series

Meet us at Friday’s Talk Party, 6:30 – 9:30pm

Last February, we held a special Talk Party Series with Ghanaian-British singer and songwriter, TAWIAH. At that time she had just wrapped production on her much-feened for mixtape, FREEdom DROP, and we gave the Accra fans a rare premiere before the rest of the world heard it. We also got a chance to rap with Tawiah via Skype and were even privy to an intimate live performance.

For those of us who saw Tawiah tear the stage apart at IND!E FUSE 2012, we have been patiently waiting to resurrect the magic of that night’s performance. Well wait no more, Accra city people. Tawiah’s back in the building and she will be representing at this Friday, Feb. 28th’s Talk Party. Tawiah will share a bit of her audiovisual exploration with us plus you’ll get to ask her all the questions you want. We also get a chance to hear some of her new material.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2013: THE GIRL WHO BROUGHT YOU KWAKU ANANSE

words by NANA OSEI KWADWO | images by MANTSE ARYEEQUAYE

The Kwaku Ananse premier in July was everything a film loving crowd would hope for ; great turn out, a participatory crowd and fierce music. The 26 minute short immortalizes the mythical spider by constructing a fresh narrative that retells this famous Ananse tale with multilayered, moody, elliptical shots of a wandering Jojo Abot, who plays Ananse’s daughter. The film suggests that stories normally seen through the lens of post-colonialism could just as easily be seen in existential or mythic terms.

For the record this film had the biggest turn out for an experimental Ghanaian picture, which is a refreshing start. Ghana isn’t known for experimental artsy movies and over the years John Akomfrah has been the only reference when such conversations came up. Our lame claim to his notoriety can stop now.

Adoma at the numbers station.

Akosua Adoma Owusu represents a new wave of filmmakers making bold attempts at disrupting the Ghanaian narrative in order to create new forms of story telling that involve risk taking. Hopefully these risks will explore new audiences and markets that would in turn create Ghanaian cinema the world looks forward to. This Kwaku Ananse story feeds our curiosities and creative interpretations made by the audacious individuals it features.

Grace Omaboe who plays Ananse’s wife has not been in a Ghanaian movie for years. At the height of her career, she was in a very popular TV drama series ‘OBRA’. Then through the mid to late 90’s she had a TV show “By The Fire Side” where she told Ananse stories to children. For the people old enough to remember, this film is like a time machine that travels into that past but tells the story in a sequence far removed from what a Ghanaian audience might be used to.

Another character worth mentioning in the movie is Highlife living legend Agya Koo Nimo who played Kweku Ananse. Koo Nimo brought such character volume to the 26 minute picture, it begged further exploration. That was four months ago, Adoma has since gone on to start new projects, but this is certainly worth the reminder.

We caught up with Akosua Adoma Owusu recently during our STROLLING GOATS episode and talked about film and her new projects.

AKOSUA ADOMA OWUSU hangs low on James Town Beach

What first interested you in film?

Well, my background was in the fine arts, specifically, printmaking and sculpture. I discovered my interest in filmmaking after studying 16mm Cinematography at the University of Virginia with an African American filmmaker, Kevin Jerome Everson. Kevin came from a working-class background – I identified with this in Virginia – and his work in experimental short films and traveling to film festivals really inspired me. So I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Film/Video and Art at CalArts against my parents’ wishes. They wanted me to be more practical and pursue a career in medicine like basically all Ghanaian parents. But creating art through a cinematic medium really spoke to me and impassioned me far more than any “practical” choice could have.

TALK PARTY SERIES Returns Tonight with INVISIBLE BORDERS

This month we’re teaming up with INVISIBLE BORDERS, an amazing cadre of photographers from Nigeria and other countries across the continent, as a part of The Accra Project. The group is stopping through town to show some of their work, share with us a short film about the project and participate in a chill conversation about art and photography.

Join us TONIGHT Friday, 19th July from 6-9pm for the Talk Party Series. We’re meeting up at the WEB DuBois Centre in Cantonments [behind the U.S. Embassy], Multipurpose Space.

Kobby Graham will be our moderator. DJ K3V is on the 1s and 2s. Live poetry, Cocktails provided by Absolut Vodka and Comfort food by Roots Restaurant. A smashing good time, indeed.