<![CDATA[[caption id="attachment_20406" align="alignleft" width="1024"] FOKN Bois[/caption]
The Asabaako Music Festival returned to Busua Beach in Ghana’s Western Region for the third time this past weekend. The programme once again grew in size and stature from the previous two editions, with a number of live bands taking the daytime beachfront audience by storm. DJs from Ghana, Europe and the USA continued to blend African and African-inspired music from around the world, to keep the party pumping well into the night.
Thursday’s opener saw the festival offering the stage to the local villagers only, led by local heroes Lawmaker and Kojo Blakk and getting the village warmed up for things to come.
Sponsored by Africa Cola, Savannah, Knights Whiskey and logistics and transport sponsors, the Finatrade Group, Friday began with UK-African dance act, Kweku Aacht’s Kindred Tribe. The Kindred Tribe had been working with children in the village to choreograph a dance performance very different to what is usually seen in Ghana, but which was enjoyed greatly by the audience of people from around Ghana and around the world.
They were followed by Togolese band Arc Djebe, who provided beautiful rhythms as the sun set over Busua’s famous island out in front of it’s beautiful beach, before Magician and acrobat Captain Ghana provided some variety entertainment with juggling, fire eating and more.
Local favourite Kweku Ananse provided his own entertainment, with backing band as well as alone with traditional balafon music, before Takoradi band Mag2 played a range of highlife, hip life and azonto into the night. The following beach party saw US DJ Bbrave go back-to-back with local up and coming DJ, Shocker, playing a range of hits from around the continent, as well as UK Ghanaian T.Roy, who flew in from London especially for the event.
Saturday was the festival’s main day, with a host of entertainment over two venues. The party began with the Agona brass band parading through town, before hitting the main stage and handing over to Arc Djebe, performing their 2nd set of the weekend. Wanlov the Kubolor, supporter of the festival since day 1, provided a unique DJ set combining music from his two homes, Ghana and Romania, before the introduction of the electrifying Afro Harmony Band. Some of the finest musicians in Ghana, they provide jazz and soul support to Lady Jay Wah, before Takoradi breakthrough artist Sketches performed his hits. Afro Harmony returned to the stage to perform with Kubolor’s partner in crime, M3nsa, who also invited Kubolor back on stage to play as the FOKN Bois. Ever-rising diva Efya made a surprise appearance on stage, before E.L hit the headline spot with support from Yaa Pono.
But possibly the most incredible part of this year’s festival was the jungle party. After the headliners finished, the audience moved from the beach into the bush, where a party awaited like no other. Deep in the bush, a few minutes’ drive from Busua village, organisers Beating Tracks had created a party venue like nothing else. DJs from Ghana and around the world played everything from azonto to house, hip life to hip hop, funk, soul, reggae, broken beat, garage and drum and bass. The audience’s reaction proved this was like nothing they’d ever experienced and will be waiting to hear of the next.
The event also featured a cinema with popular Ghanaian movies alongside some of Africa’s most internationally critically-acclaimed, and a photography exhibition by the children of Busua.
Beating Tracks will now be planning for the next event, and claim that details of upcoming events will be revealed soon. Busua village now returns to its normal self, but the spirit of Asabaako lives on and on until the next.
For more info on Asabaako and Beating Tracks, visit www.asabaako.com, www.facebook.com/asabaako
[caption id="attachment_20407" align="alignleft" width="1024"] E.L[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_20408" align="alignleft" width="1024"] Arc Djebe[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_20409" align="alignleft" width="1024"] Kindred Tribe[/caption]
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