CHALE WOTE 2014: SAVE THE DATE

*click on image to enlarge

The 4th Annual CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival: Aug. 23 + 24. 2014 #AccraGhana #SavetheDate

IND!E FUSE 2013: Ko-Jo Cue

Story by NANA OSEI KWADWO | Photos by MANTSE ARYEEQUAYE

It’s certified. Ko-Jo Cue is a star.

In the early days of 2013, Kojo Amankwah a.k.a Ko-Jo Cue a.k.a Punch Line King (PLK) had Ghanaians jamming to conscious hip-hop songs from his seventh mixtape, Before We Shine 2 (BWS2). Ko-Jo Cue entered the Ghanaian music scene with a mentality to convert conservative music lovers making the country skip to his lou and jump to something new. With BWS2, Ko-Jo Cue achieved just that.

They don’t call him the Kumasi King for nothing, either. Months after releasing BWS2, we still hear boomboxes and wireless radios blaring his sounds.

His fellow rappers – after listening to his mixtapes – christened Ko-Jo Cue the “Punch Line King” (PLK).

This music dopeness has earned the MC a spot on the Ind!e Fuse 2013 stage. After his energetic performance at this year’s Chale Wote Street Art Festival in James Town, alternative music lovers keep asking for more of the Kumasi hitman.

CHALE WOTE 2013: Q+A INFO SHEET

James Town Community Organizer SAMUAH HANSON in Red | by Selorm Jay

1. Which part of James Town will the festival be held?

The two-day festival will take place along a 10-minute walking route on High Street between the Ga Mashie Development Agency [three buildings to the right of the Light House] down to the old Kings Way building [next to Ussher Fort].

2. Where do I park my car?
There is ample parking available inside James Town, particularly any side street or parallel street to High Street. Please note that High Street is a one-way street and will be closed to vehicular traffic on both days of the festival.

CHALE WOTE 2013 Site Map x Program Schedule

Check out the site map for CHALE WOTE 2013 this Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th, 2013 from 10AM – 9PM in James Town [double-click to enlarge]:

To see the full schedule of activities over the 2-day festival, click here. 

This year for Chale Wote, we’re creating new visions of African folklore. We all will be characters in a compelling set of stories called the Chale Wote Street Art Festival. What character will you be? Dress up in your own DIY costume and party with us in the streets.

See you in James Town over the weekend.

 

CHALE WOTE IN JAMES TOWN THIS WEEKEND

The third annual CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival takes place in James Town on September 7th and 8th, 2013, 10am-9pm [free]. The festival is produced by ACCRA [dot] ALT in association with The Foundation for Contemporary Art – Ghana, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Institut Français, Alliance Française, Dr. Monk, No Limits Charity, Absolut Vodka, CitiFM and The Attukwei Art Foundation.

 The second edition of the CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival held on April 14th, 2012 was a major success and the collective effort of many young people—ranging from artists, musicians and writers to designers, students and activists—who worked together to produce Accra’s only street art festival. The one-day festival included street painting, sidewalk painting, graffiti murals, live music performances, a fashion circus, extreme sport stunting, experimental theater, spoken word, art workshops and Installations.

CHALE WOTE 2013: Futuristic Art Made in Accra

by Nii Ayertey Aryeh

TRUST HIM by Nolan Dennis | Visiting Artist [JoBurg SA] | CHALE WOTE 2013

Reimagining African folklore by creating exciting and futuristic versions is the theme for CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival 2013. Everything points to a classic show this time around. The festival has over the last few years challenged the music and art space in Accra in a super-funky urban way.

For the first two years, the festival was organized as a whole day’s event. It is a major attraction for tourists, art lovers, musicians, graffiti + mural artists, poets, and musicians – and basically anyone who appreciates or has a curious mind for art made in Accra.  This year the free festival will be running for two (2) days at its signature venue, James Town, on September 7^th and 8^th, 10am – 9pm.

Fresh Digital Art by Frame 14 [Ghana]

The OFFICIAL CHALE WOTE 2013 Poster

CHALE WOTE 2013 official poster

Hot off the presses!

The JAMES TOWN Experience

by NANA OSEI KWADWO | Photos by MANTSE ARYEEQUAYE

THE HUNTER KIDS – James Town | Accra

I stared in awe – my mind and soul were buried in what lay before me. In my mind’s eye it was so awesome I forgot someone was trying to get my attention. I was fixated with these kids designing kites; they played different roles in the design process by folding papers, sticks and threading kite.  One of them drew a prototype of the kite on the pavement with the oldest amongst them cutting and joining paper with broomsticks. The rest were obliged to tie the thread to the kites and test flights.

CHALE WOTE Swings Back into James Town

SAVE the DATE poster: CHALE WOTE 2013

We’re working our way to CHALE WOTE 2013 – a massive festival jam in James Town – on September 7th and 8th.

200 artists. 2 days. Too much free fun.

This year’s theme is to Re-imagine African Folklore by creating exciting and futuristic versions of communal stories that will magically come alive on the streets of James Town. We’ll have it all on High Street from live music, experimental theater and spoken word, extreme sport stunts, dance flash mobs, street fashion parades, graffiti murals and crazy art installations to a film festival, international food and fashion marketplace and even a masquerade procession.

To see a taste of what you’ll experience at CHALE WOTE 2013, check out last year’s highlight video:

Stay tuned to this blog for more updates on CHALE WOTE 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

ROLE PLAY: Phyllis Galembo’s Masquerade Museum

by KATHARINE M. ORTIZ

Baby Dance of Etikpe, Cross River, Nigeria 2004 via The Third Eye | photo by Phyllis Galembo

As we gear up for our MASQUERADE JAM this Wednesday, April 17th at Alliance Francaise and prelude party our way to the third annual CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival, we bring you a bit of mask magic to increase your vim.

We are inspired by the visual feast that is portrait photographer Phyllis Galembo’s work. Here, have a look: