Music on the Streets of West Africa

written by Nathan

 
If you love the culture or are from the Caribbean (in my case the Gulf of Mexico’s coastal parishes) you would feel right at home in West Africa. Here, the people’s sway, their excited conversation, their public life…the love of family, community, respect for elderly, the deference of small children, grown-upness of teenage youth, all concedes the same spirit: warmth of life, of markets, of churches and worship here, the public parade and royalty of music, these are here - and move around you in social forms, in group spirit.

Life musically sustains streets as civilities exchanged maintain sacred orders on manner. One needs to be from these new lands to see what is evident and obvious. To not be inculcated into the naturality and ital spirit of a group of peoples obstructed from their kingdoms by 500 years of strange oppression would be foreign for most outsiders, which it is not for us. Days leave streets evacuated as blinding light gives harsh and partial visibility to white walls; while sleeping forms muddle in darkness of the thickest tree shade.

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Who the Cap Fits

written by Nathan

There is something you have to feel listening to the Wailers on the night streets of Africa. There is more heartbeat and more resonance to feel. This may not even be possible on a shanty corner of the Caribbean, even in Jamaica. It may be just because Bob Marley wanted so much to be here… or that the music begins, happens, ends here. But, it is a kindred feeling.

Who the cap fits, let him wear it! Long live the King of Reggae on the dusty streets of Africa!

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Reggae in West Africa is just as on-the-money as in any Caribbean, European, or American hotspot. It is solid, base-filled, crooning, and ranges in harmony and nativity. In Ghana, we were so fortunate to meet our DJ friend Black Shanti and go and see his rising artist ragga star Patan at Rising Phoenix (Akuma Village). The crowd sits around a great pit of dancing, young men mostly and emphatic rastas. People stand in groups, sharing their bread, sipping pineapple juice and tonics. There is good ital and meat bbq and a stand out front selling all the necessary sundries (They have a nice restaurant with a striking sunset and moonrise view over the ocean - but restaurant did not seem to be in use during the late night concert).

These guys really know roots, rock, reggae, and the music thumps at maximum proportions from dusk to dawn.. The show we went to was free - so we felt very lucky - but they have regular live concerts that are always as fair priced as their 1.5 liter “Star” lagers. A very high recommendation for reggae listeners visiting the Capital of Accra in Ghana.

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