Upon arriving at the airport of Accra, the capital of Ghana, African American sisters and brothers are greeted with “Welcome home,” and my response is “Thank you, so happy to be here.” Their international airport, like any, is a beehive of activity, with drivers standing at the exit waving client name cards, friends and family waiting anxiously, the usual scurrying drivers looking for fares, and airport security keeping it all on a mellow tone.
At the airport, it became apparent how Ghanaians are so willing to accommodate. As we know, Americans are always alert to the scheme or schemer, but former radio host and jazz/cultural writer Ahoma Bosco Ocaney was quick to point out, “We are much too chill to attempt to rip someone off or commit bodily harm. In Ghana, there aren’t a lot of shootings and murders like in the States.” Since 1993, it has been one of the most free and stable governments on the continent.
The weather was amazing, topping 85–90 degrees daily—perfect beach weather. Although it was mentioned that Accra has some great beaches, I never made it to them. Who wants to waste time sunning when there is so much historical culture to be explored?
Fortunately, our Air B&B was centrally located, getting us to downtown Accra in 15 to 20 minutes by Uber at a cost of 20 cedi (about $1.67 in U.S. currency). Downtown Accra is a serious hustle-bustle of activity, with cars speeding by making those sharp turns, passing little open air markets on the side of the road where native Ghanaians peddled their wares, from soft drinks and water to peanuts and other treats, many of them balancing these items on their heads in baskets, often walking in the streets to approach cars in efforts to make a sale.
The traffic rush hour in Accra is just as bad as or worse than New York. We were only minutes away from downtown, but when caught in that rush hour traffic (4–8 p.m.), that same trip became two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic with cars sitting idle, no movement at all. Yes, traffic was a monster!
Accra offers a treasure chest of historical cultural institutions and entertainment.
My visit to the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture was an illuminating experience. Walking into the house where Du Bois and his wife Shirley Graham once resided, standing in their space, now occupied by their spirits, was eerie and astounding. The opportunity to examine each room—his office, his dressing room with his garments displayed—and see the original furniture, the many photos that adorned the walls featuring prominent Black men both African and African American…
His wife’s office was dedicated to female warriors (as the tour guide noted, they are often forgotten, but we are here to remind everyone), from Queen Nzinga to Michele Obama and Harlem’s adopted Queen Mother Audley Moore. In 1972, Moore was given the chieftaincy title “Queen Mother” by members of the Ashanti people in Ghana. In New York City, she was honored and acknowledged as a Royal Elder in the Harlem community by the city’s Mayor David Dinkins and Congressman Charles Rangel.
Most impressive was Shirley Graham’s library (on my next visit, I will obtain the necessary permission letter from the director to use this library, filled with her and Du Bois’s books and other written gems). She is often overshadowed by Du Bois, but she was a prominent writer, playwright, composer, an activist, and Pan Africanist in her own right. In 1932, she composed the opera “Tom-Tom: An Epic of Music and the Negro,” which featured an all-Black cast and orchestra, structured in three acts; act one taking place in an Indigenous African tribe, act two portraying an American slave plantation, and the final act taking place in 1920s Harlem. The music features elements of blues and spirituals, as well as jazz, with elements of opera.
In 1961, at the age of 93, Du Bois and his wife traveled to Ghana to take up residence. In early 1963, the United States refused to renew his passport, so he made the symbolic gesture of becoming a citizen of Ghana.
Standing at the grave of Du Bois and Shirley Graham (cremation urn) just a few yards from their house, ignited a feeling in me of active inspiration and a more definitive concept of Pan Africanism. Reading about Du Bois and his profound contribution as a Pan African civil rights activist, author, essayist, writer, and orator can never compare to being in the same room as his spirit and lingering thoughts.
Another spiritual experience was visiting the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum in downtown Accra. The five-acre property pays homage to Ghana’s first president. The building is set to represent an upside-down sword, which in Akan culture is the symbol of peace. The mausoleum houses the remains of Nkrumah and his wife Fathia Nkrumah.
The sacred site holds an abundance of artifacts and exhibits facts and photos from the life of Nkrumah. To date, there has yet to be a president to accomplish as much as he did for Ghana. Nkrumah once noted, “I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.”
These two empowering homages to Du Bois and Nkrumah connect the dots and represent the undeniable relationship between America and Africa—a relationship that should be nourished. These two learned ancestors understood the importance of such a relationship and moved forward to enhance a better cultural relationship through education and economic means.
Accra’s jazz scene features the +233 Jazz Bar & Grill. As Bosco informed me, “It’s where dignitaries and regular folks come to hear good music.” Live jazz swings every Tuesday and Saturday with a mix of live music on the weekend.
We caught two shows on different nights: a large jazz ensemble from Switzerland called African Vibes and Hemp featuring drums, congas, vibes, violin, viola guitar, electric bass, keyboards, and trumpets. They played a colorful rainbow mix, from African Hi-Life to classical avant garde and jazzy bossa nova beats.
Another night, it was the Frank Kissi Quartet. Saxophonist and composer Kissi played a mean sax: straight-ahead jazz with a home-grown Ghanaian mix. “Musicians don’t have it easy here or anywhere really. We don’t have many places to gig, but you play wherever the music takes you,” said Kissi.
During the jam session, Blay Ambolley, one of Accra’s favorite jazz singers, dropped his impressive interpretation of “Blue Moon.” “Our music is an extension of American jazz. The music is in our DNA,” said producer, composer, and arranger Ambolley. “They took us out of Africa but they couldn’t take the Africa out of us.”
He was introduced to jazz by, as he describes, a jazz fanatic who listened to the Voice of America every night from 10 p.m.–11 p.m. during the 1960s. “I got a chance to hear Dizzy, Miles, and John Coltrane,” Ambolley said. “The young musicians here are very encouraging, they are intent on moving the music forward.”
The Gold Coast Hub is another club/restaurant that presents live music during the weekend.
It was an honor to be invited to discuss my favorite subject on one of the popular talk shows, Class Radio 91.3, with its engaging host Korku Lumor, whose talk format reminded me of the talk show warriors Imhotep Gary Byrd and Bob Law.
My meeting with newly elected officers of the Musicians Union of Ghana, consultant Bosco Ocaney and president Bessa Simons, opened a dialogue that I hope will lead to joint ventures with some of New York City’s nonprofit organizations. Some of the union’s goals, as described by Simons, include securing health insurance and pensions for musicians, and implementing a digital platform with workshops on digitizing music and its importance in the 21st century.
“We also want to open our union to exchange programs with universities and other organizations,” said Simons. “We also want to collaborate and work with musicians in Ghana to assist them in getting visas.” Most importantly, Simons said, the union is in need of musical instruments for students and aspiring young musicians.
Thanks for the story on Ghana, the Mecca of Pan Africanism. Looking forward to seeing you again!