Another year is coming to a close, and our capital is once more filled with a wide range of incredible activities and experiences. To be hon...
Another year is coming to a close, and our capital is once more filled with a wide range of incredible activities and experiences. To be honest, since January – with continuous events, it has become quite normal as our capital city has not slowed down. It appears there is an endless supply of events that keep emerging, making our Accra the top choice for entertainment and thrill in West Africa!
Each week, each month, new event posters continue to appear everywhere. What was once a seasonal year-end event, where gatherings vied for the attention of partygoers, has now turned into a well-known year-round occurrence.
‘Tidal Rave’ – a beach celebration – occurred over the weekend, featuring high-energy shows and attracting many young people dressed in their “Christmas attire” who wandered freely throughout the event!
A month ago, in October, the "Chopbar Experience" – a food festival – attracted a large group of young people who created a lot of excitement around the event.
The Ghana Coffee Festival will take place tomorrow, drawing a large crowd to Nyaniba Market. I'll be there in my full "coffee enthusiast" spirit to enjoy some brewing. Speaking of brewing, I missed the Tea Ritual event with Mohammed Osumanu last September, where Mohammed Blakk presented live aromatic teas, sobolo, and ataya infused with spices during a street gathering in Osu. It was a wonderful community event. Now that I've learned he'll be at the Coffee Festival, I definitely won't miss it this time!
Gastro Feastival gallops near
Next up is the Gastro Feastival – Ghana's most daring Food Industry Festival – taking place over the Farmers’ Day weekend (Dec 6-7), where I will be serving some of my famous grilled snacks! It promises to be a delicious experience where "food collides with culture, atmosphere blends with enjoyment, and every bite makes a memory — spicy and fresh!"
That same weekend, my brother KOD's "Rythmz on the Runway" fashion event will be held at the famous Christiansborg Castle in Osu!
The Talking Drums Festival
Another event I am excited about, which is being promoted as Africa's biggest hip-hop festival, is the first Talking Drums Festival, making its debut on December 29-30 with over 40 artists from the U.S., U.K., and various African countries! This event is anticipated to attract tens of thousands of fans from throughout Africa, the global diaspora, and not only Ghana.
Designed to connect Africa with the worldwide hip-hop scene via music, dance, style, and narrative, this festival offers fans the opportunity to register for priority access, along with special updates as excitement grows for what is expected to be a significant cultural milestone in the region.
It offers an energetic mix of rhythm, culture, and togetherness. The Executive Producer of the event is my longtime friend Ruddy Kwakye, who mentions that the festival seeks to "embrace hip-hop in every shape and form, highlighting the genre's worldwide impact and varied creative expressions."
Currently, Ruddy is well-known for his involvement in major music concerts and large-scale festivals. As the Chief Executive of The Rave Group, a financial enterprise with investments in marketing communications across platform content, production, technology, experiential, and digital marketing, he served as the Executive Producer for the AfroNationGhana festival! This event, which is part of the global AfroNation network, was recognized as the world's No.1 urban beach music event aimed at the African Urban diaspora. We all witnessed the massive attendance it attracted.
Ruddy molds dimensions through his ideas and deeds, and holds the belief that "entertainment is not merely enjoyable, but a significant endeavor." He has established a notable reputation as a serial entrepreneur, author, tech enthusiast, content gatherer, and producer due to relentless effort.
Having worked as a brand representative for the global entertainment company Viacom's MTV Base, and later as Innovations Manager for Ghana's top media brand Multimedia Group Limited – the parent company of Joy FM – Ruddy then joined the former Media Ghana as COO to lead the repositioning and transformation of its radio, TV, and telecoms assets in the UK, Liberia, and USA. He is well-versed in managing the logistics required to organize a major event, such as the Talking Drum Festival, which is supported by a multi-year collaboration with the Black Star Experience, Ghana's government-led cultural diplomacy platform and successor to the successful Beyond the Return initiative – featuring Rex Omar at the helm. As Presidential Coordinator for the initiative, Rex emphasizes Ghana's status as Africa's cultural hub and notes that the country's dynamic creative scene makes it the perfect location for a top-tier global hip-hop celebration. I completely agree!
Working with the Black Star Experience office "emphasizes Ghana's ongoing dedication," according to Rex, "to bringing the global Black diaspora together with the continent through art, music, culture, and travel."
Therefore, we can anticipate a celebrity-packed performance lineup at the Talking Drums Festival, organized by the entertainment-oriented Republic of Amusement, which will take place this December.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
