SAVE THE DATE: SABOLAI RADIO THIS DECEMBER

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MISS UNIVERSE VISITS ACCRA

Leila Lopes, the reigning Miss Universe, stopped over in Accra this month on a five-country tour of West Africa. The Angolan winner of the crown is the second Black African woman to fill this much-coveted role (following Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana in 1999). In addition to Ghana, Lopes visited Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Togo to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention. This is a part of her mission as a UN Goodwill Ambassador in completion of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.
The SOS Tour in Africa is organized by Roberta Annan Consulting Group.

As a souvenir, Lopes received a gold necklace engraved with Adinkra symbols to signify the importance of her visit to Ghana. Lucky girl.

As Miss Universe, Lopes also receives these cool perks during her tenure: a shoe collection from Chinese Laundry; a one-year scholarship (including housing) from the New York Film Academy; luxury accommodations in a NYC apartment, including living expenses; a year-long salary; and extensive travel opportunities (in a private plane) with unlimited access to movie premieres, film festivals, Broadway shows and launch parties worldwide, along with much much more.

Check out our photo exclusives of Miss Universe’s visit to Accra:

MISS UNIVERSE ARRIVES AT KOTOKA INT’L AIRPORT IN ACCRA

ROBERTA ANNAN, MS. LOPES + GUEST AT LABADI BEACH HOTEL

CHILLING IN THE HOTEL LOUNGE BETWEEN MEETINGS

LOPES GREETED BY DANCERS AT THE SOS VILLAGE IN TEMA

LOPES CUTS A RUG WITH THE DANCERS

THE BOYS OF SOS VILLAGE IN TEMA

LOPES + MISS UNIVERSE GHANA 2011 @ THE SAMSUNG EVENT, MOVENPICK AMBASSADOR HOTEL

YAYRA E. NEGO, MISS UNIVERSE GHANA 2011

NEGO GETS UP CLOSE + PERSONAL

LOPES + MANTSE ARYEEQUAYE (ACCRA [dot] ALT) x THE AFRICA CHANNEL CREW

PHOTOS GALORE: CHALE WOTE 2012

Can’t get enough of #CHALEWOTE2012? Well, feast your eyes on these beauties.

GRAFFITI IN ACTION

GENERIK VAPEUR PRESENTS BIVOUAC

JAMES TOWN ACTOR, GENERIK VAPEUR

GENERIK VAPEUR LUVS THE KIDS

SYNPOP OF FAINTMEDAL PERFORMS LIVE

FAINTMEDAL

GRAFFITI WORKS @ THE KINGS WAY BLDG

CAPOEIRA

@simpol_tinz, THE SANKWAS BOIS

NEW MORNING ART THEATER CAFE

LADY JAY + OGA CHUXX ARE ALL SMILES

THE WINNEBA MASQUERADE PARADE

CIRCUS GHANA

SIDEWALK STREET ART

DJ SanSe (HEAVY WARMUP)

ART BY MUSAH SWALLAH, NMA

WINNEBA STILTWALKER

TEI HUAGIE COLLECTION

BADBOY STELOO, MC

SARI AT THE ANOKYE’S SWORD FILM WORKSHOP TENT

CHALE WOTE 2012 Gives James Town a Make-Over

Zohra Opoku, CHALE WOTE 2012 Installation Artist Takes a Ride

James Town is now the official capital of cool after a successful second edition of the CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival. Between the Light House and the old Kings Way building next to Ussher Fort, visitors got an epic street art tour featuring Accra’s most progressive artists collaborating with a host of international participants. What was obvious were the variety of styles of the murals and installations spread across the streets and the definitive new pop art culture on the rise within Accra.

CHALE WOTE 2012 Graffiti Work

ACT for Change's Nii Ayikwei, Ga-Mashie Style

IAN QUHACHI IN THE ZONE

RAAM, LIVE PAINTING MOVEMENT

MUSAH SWALLAH, NIMA MUHINMANCHI ART

WASTE (RE)COVERED EXHIBIT, SUNANDA MESQUITA

Graffiti art lovers got more than their fill watching Kwabena Danso and Takoradi-based Ian Quhachi spray out the Ghana Space Station inside the old Kings Way building which also doubled as the official party lounge with Kobby Graham, Jason Kleatsh (GALT Faculty), BBrave (Akwaaba Music), DJ Kev and SanSe (Heavy Warmup) manning the DUSTLYVE DJ booth. These fellas dug out phenomenal music set after set for the large eclectic audience that turned up for #Chalewote2012.

ANANSE & CO.

KWABENA DANSO, CAPOEIRA

JAMES TOWN SWAG

TEI HUAGIE'S MANNEQUIN COLLECTION

The artist collectives in Accra have a lot to be proud of, as they have now proven the existence of their own counterculture – one that is edgy, vibrant and extremely innovative. Visual artists from the Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana (FCA) created a vivid maze of painting on huge plywood boards, on the street and sidewalks. The WEB (Young Designers Hub) held a do-it-yourself accessorizing workshop for festival patrons and showed their wares off in the Designer Digs Tent.

BLOGGER VICTORIA OKOYE HOLDING THE KINGS WAY BLDG DOWN

CRYSTAL TETTEY, PERFORMANCE ARTIST

TOKE OLAGBAJU, ACCESSORIES DESIGNER

MAKI PERFORMS INSIDETHEMOSKITONET

NEW MORNING CAFE IN THEATER MODE

ANGEL FROM NEW MORNING CAFE

FLAT LAND BOYS BIKER CREW

For visitors who hadn’t experienced experimental theater, Bibie Brew’s New Morning Café, James Town-based theater troupe ACT for Change and the international dancers of InsidetheMoskitoNet were eye openers for the crowd. Rolla Wondaland, Flat Land Boys Biker Crew, Riclils Acrobatic Troupe and Circus Ghana performed some gravity defying stunts leading up the very spectacular Bivouac procession by the blue men from Generik Vapeur.

GENERIK VAPEUR IN FULL ACTION

LAURENT FROM GENERIK VAPEUR

The world-traveled street art company from Marseille, France, Generik Vapeur, rocked James Town like never before. Hundreds of people crowded around the blue men as they banged out boogies on oil barrels along High Street and made their way to Mantse Agbonaa for a spectacular finish. Even the traffic stopped to see what the blue men – including 12 volunteers from Alliance Francaise and James Town – would do next.

THE WINNEBA MASQUERADE PARADE

STILTWALKER IN THE SKY

The Winneba Masquerade Parade was also an undeniable attention grabber with 36 members – brass band, colorfully bejeweled dancers and stiltwalkers – hightailing it up and down High Street and throughout Mantse Agbonaa for throngs of excited onlookers. The masquerade even included an awesome azonto breakdown that really got the audience moving on their feet.

The festival ended on a high note with a live music concert in Mantse Agbonaa featuring the latest and greatest artists on the indie scene in Accra. James Town champs Bukom Dancehall, Powers and King Jay held it down for their homefolk. Jojo Abot captivated the people with her jazzy, AfroBeat sonic flow. XFM’s Badboy Steloo + Yaw P performed their Ga + Twi electronica mashups. The SANKWAS Bois teased and toyed the audience with their witty pidgen lyricism. Nigierien band – Juberu and – brought some serious bass funk to the party that had the crowd jumping and shaking about. FaintMedal, the pidgen rock + rap collective, turned the CHALE WOTE live music party out with hard-hitting melodies, spitfire delivery and psychadelic guitars.

MZ. JOJO ABOT KEEPS IT FUNKY FOR THE PEOPLE

If there is any indication that Accra is on the rise, it is partly because of the dedicated work of those who organized CHALE WOTE 2012. The festival was powered by ACCRA [dot] ALT, a cultural network that promotes alternative music and art events, with a host of collaborators throughout the city. These partners include The French Embassy, Institut Français, Alliance Française, the Millennium Cities Initiative, DUST Magazine, the Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana, Dr. Monk, Indomie, the U.S. Embassy, Lincoln Community School, Trashy Bags, NandiMobile, Pidgen Music, JustGhana, Attukwei Art Foundation, Studio Kurtcyz, among others.

ZOHRA OPOKU CHECKS HER INSTALLATION

For more information on CHALE WOTE 2013, stay tuned to this blog!

CHALE WOTE 2012: THE OFFICIAL POSTER

CHALE WOTE 2012

COME ONE, COME ALL!

The CHALE WOTE 2012 FESTIVAL MAP

Shout-out to the brilliant Victoria Okoye aka @vickivictoriao + blogger of African Urbanism who created this dandy map for the CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival on Saturday, April 14th 10:00 am – 11:00 pm.

We have tons of out-there activities happening day + night to tickle your fancies. Click on the purple UFOs to find out what’s happening at CHALE WOTE. The festival is free so come out with your peoples.

CATCH ME AT CHALE WOTE

Want to know what The CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival is all about? Well, check out this screener of last year’s show. We’re back in James Town – in an all new way – on Saturday, April 14th from 10am – 11pm. Come out and jam with us!

GET THE LIMITED EDITION ACCRA [dot] ALT RADIO T-SHIRT TODAY!

This is our scene…our Accra Renaissance. Your $25 donation will kickstart Gbaa Mi Sané (Talk to Me), a documentary film that looks at life in the West African city through compelling conversations and the magic-mojo music of a diverse group of young people who call Accra home.

AND you’ll cop a cool shirt featuring a few of our indie superstars. These trendsetters are changing the sound of Accra.

We are 54% funded with 4 days to go! Please spread the word to your networks!

See more about our Kickstarter project here:

http://kck.st/vZgtKJ

DEADLINE IS SATURDAY, DEC. 3RD 10:00 AM EST!

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Sizes Available: S – 2XL (for men and women)

Delivery Date: Feb 2012; shipping outside of the U.S. and Ghana will come with additional charges

Created By: ACCRA [dot] ALT + Turn Design Studio in Accra, Ghana