Some new Ghanaian hiplife from PAPPYKOJO.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4zoQGlOf8&w=560&h=349] Mikey AKA Kesse Babe, from Nigeria’s Project Fame reality TV show, comes with a very nice Twi-Pop, Roots Reggae tune. I was able to visit Mikey’s studio recently in Accra. The young R&B singer has a great voice and a lot of talent. Keep a look out for more from him.

From a New York Daily News story (from earlier this year) about Twi (Ghanaian language) courses being offered at Fordham University in the Bronx: The Bronx boasts 43,000 African immigrants – up from 25,000 in 2000 – and nearly 20,000 are from Ghana, according to census reports. Many others are Mandingo, West Africans who are […]

Youtube is streaming all of the 44-odd minutes of Blitz the Ambassador’s second studio album, “Native Sun.” The album will be released May 3rd in North America, and May 6th Worldwide. I have already pre-ordered my copy.

New video from M.anifest H/T: Peter Rachleff

Off his new album, Blitz the Ambassador featuring Les Nubians. Free download here.

British filmmaker John Akonfrah will be artist-in-residence this Spring at New York University’s Institute of African American Affairs. He is joined by the Ethiopian-American musician Meklit Hadero. The institute has a number of events planned around these two with the theme “The African Diaspora And/In The World.” They’re described as being “at the forefront of […]

Bridging the Western art world and the West African film industry, London-based artist Doug Fishbone cast himself as a local farmer in the film Elmina, a feature-length movie shot and produced in Ghana and starring well-known Ghanaian actors. The over-the-top story is rife with witchcraft, murder, and intrigue as the characters battle against corrupt multinational […]

Following the release of “Love and Death”, Ebo Taylor is touring in Europe these days. Although the album was recorded with the Berlin-based Afrobeat Academy, during this tour he is backed by Bonze Konkoma. Don’t miss it. The above video was shot in January 2010 during a string of performances with the Afrobeat Academy in […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FC_6PDuJRXs#!&w=500&h=307&rel=0] I am looking out for the documentary film, “An African Election” by the director Jarreth Merz. The film covers the dramatic events surrounding Ghana’s 2008 presidential elections. The election was only the second time–since Ghana ended military rule in 1992–that power would change hands through an election. Following a run-off, the two top candidates–the ruling party’s […]

From Eileen Perrier‘s “Red, Gold and Green” Series (1996).

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/13010025 w=500&h=307] Ghana’s Black Stars was on a run to make history–to become the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup–until they were hustled by Uruguayan gamesmanship. Here, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Brooklyn, Blitz, backed by a big band, gives proper thanks for the team’s efforts. — Sean Jacobs

Tomorrow Ghana will try to the impossible: become the first African nation to go to the semi-finals of the World Cup.  Two African countries came close, but failed: Cameroon in 1990 (in a thrilling match with England determined by dodgy refereeing) and Senegal in 2002 (against Turkey). But Ghana seems to the real thing. But […]

All five of the South American representatives in the 2010 World Cup have made it to the second round.  (Add to that the 2 North and Central American representatives–Mexico and the USA, and that makes for a very successful tournament thus far for the Americas). My money is still on either Brazil or Argentina to […]

I like the initiative and work of the designer, Emeka Alams (his family is Ivorian, I think) and his clothing line Gold Coast Trading Co.. I first saw a reference to his work in Clam Magazine‘s most recent issue.  See more below.  The company, its products or the founder have been profiled on a number […]