You’re viewing a text-only version of this website that uses less data. View the main version of the website including all images and videos.
How Ghana dey turn ‘Black Mecca’ of entertainment for African diaspora
Ghana dey gradually turn into ‘Black Mecca’ for African diaspora since 2019 when de country launch ‘Year of Return’ project.
Since dis time, de country play host major entertainment festivals like Afrochella, Afronation, de latest be de Black Star Line Festival which dey happen on Saturday, January 6, 2023 for Independence Square, Accra.
De Black Star Line Festival be free concert which Ghana dey take promote de agenda of making de country preferred destination for Africans in de diaspora.
Comedian David Chapelle, arrive Ghana for de Black Star Line Festival.
How Ghana dey build strong market compared to Nigeria
With support from government of Ghana, de West African state dey host big entertainment names like David Chapelle, Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Erykah Badu, T-Pain, Jeremih and some big local acts like Sarkodie, Asakaa Boys den M.anifest.
De festival which dey happen for de historic Black Star Square, according to organizers go help build bridges between Black people and artists of The Diaspora with The Continent.
Ghana dey hope say dis festival go help Black foreign artistes to connect with local acts to help build de music industry.
Ghana over de years dey reposition en image as de go to place for Black entertainers a grand plan with support from government.
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
In de past few years, major Black entertainers, Hollywood stars like Boris Kudjoe, Steve Harvey, Gabriel Union, Dwayne Wade, Chance the Rapper and many more visit Ghana.
Only dis December, American Rapper Meek Mill come spend Christmas in de West African state wey he promise say he go try come more.
Through music festivals, year of return events, tourism and social events which entertainment powerhouse like Nigeria dey miss out on.
Nigeria bin host foreign artists like Craig David for di Rhythm Unplugged festival and rapper Da Baby for di Wonderland event dis December.
Even though Grammy Award winner Burna Boy perform for Nigeria dis year, Burna Boy also perform for Ghana just before Nigeria on December 30.
Nigerian super star, Rema and Ayra Starr also perform for both Nigeria and Ghana as well as Black Sherif among odas.
So e remain to see weda dis kain event like di Black Star Line go move tins in favor of Ghanaian entertainment.
What be Year of Return?
The Year of Return, 2019, be linked to de 400th anniversary of slaves wey land for US - dem be de the recorded arrival of enslaved Africans for America.
Den Ghana be key transit point for transporting slaves and so de president say he dey feel say en country get responsibility, to welcome all those who no fit trace dema ancestry to Africa.
"We believe say we get responsibility to extend a hand of welcome back home to Africans for de diaspora." President Nana Akufo-Addo tok.
How many more people visit Ghana?
At de beginning of 2019, de Ghana Tourism Authority predict say de Year of Return go attract 500,000 extra visitors.
Official data from January to September 2019 dey show additional 237,000 visitors - which be increase of 45% compared with de same period de previous year - more increases of de visitors too come from US den UK.
However, we no know if dis be specifically sake of de Year of Return initiative, as dem no ask tourists make dem state on arrival de reason for dema visit.
De increase in arrivals in 2019 for dey inside de context of an overall annual total of between 900,000, den one million foreign visitors for Ghana, figure wey dey rise anyway over de past few years, except say e reduce slightly around 2018.
When dem publish de data for de whole of 2019, we for fit be able to see how unusual de increase for that year was compared with previous years.
