Global Citizen Fest: Accra comes alive for a night of music and youthful zest

Alarmist probing, perhaps. Equipped with dizzying internet acumen, young people 25 and below constantly surprise with their cultural intelligence and bold voice, which on this night, bared itself in their fearless, dynamic fashion, and whip-smart awareness of ’90s and 2000s hip hop, hiplife and Afropop that heralded the main performances. Lil Wayne, Kwaw Kesse and D’Banj all experienced a rebirth. Ghana’s President Nana Akufo Addo was roundly booed during his speech, in case he was oblivious to young people’s vexation at his handling of the country’s economy. 

With a parallel jamboree running at New York City’s Central Park, Accra’s big night also marked Global Citizen Fest’s 10th anniversary, delivering an Afrobeats-heavy line-up threaded with activism videos, mini-documentaries, speeches and award presentations. This year, the campaign raised $800m toward ending extreme poverty. An additional $1.6bn was secured to boost the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Leading African artists including Ghana’s Sarkodie, Gyakie and Stonebwoy, as well as Nigeran singer Tems, were on the bill alongside R&B superstar and headliner Usher. British-Ghanaian rapper Stormzy and US crooner SZA completed the line-up.

Stonebwoy kicked things off, making a grand entry in all-white and on horseback, to his latest single ‘Gidigba’. He cut the image of a promised messiah and rendered a dominant performance buoyed by a catalogue over 10 years strong. He was succeeded by Tems, whose deafening reception further attested to her resounding global renown as a vocal powerhouse. A Bob Marley heir. Rihanna reincarnated. 

Amapiano poster girl Uncle Waffles catered to the South African sound’s booming demand, discharging speaker-shattering log drums, casual percussions and slight chords, sparking groovy body bounces and setting feet in motion. 

Then came Gyakie, the soft-spoken Afrobeats crooner taking the continent by storm with offerings like ‘Forever’ and ‘Something’. She gave a decent account of herself, with the themes of love and girl-power as prime focus.

Stormzy and Sarkodie held the court for hip hop; both had accomplished grins throughout their time on stage, the latter for how well time has honoured brutal hits like ‘Original’, ‘Illuminati’ and ‘Adonai’, while the former, who traces his lineage to Kumasi, simply couldn’t believe how much celebration attended his first show on the land of his mother. “I’m hoooooome,” he declared halfway through his showcase, which offered guest spots to local rappers Kwesi Arthur and Yaw Tog. His set ended as it began, with rousing gospel numbers, as if to say, “God, this is all you.”

US R&B singer SZA, too, was taken aback by the reception that met her performance. Draped in scanty covering that honoured the red, gold and green of Ghana’s flag, the musician confessed to thinking that her songs were unknown in Accra: “I was scared that y’all wouldn't know my music,” she said. She was wrong. Words from ‘Love Galore,’ ‘All the Stars’ and ‘Broken Clocks’ were sung back to her by the teeming crowd and with precision, like she would encounter at, say, Coachella. She made sure to reiterate her gratitude: “I feel so blessed. I’ve never been to Africa my whole life. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been." 

Usher, whose songs have soundtracked love stories around the world for many years, ran patrons through old classics and new hits alike, prancing across the breadth of the stage with electric dance moves. His inclusive set saw him bring out ‘Ku Lo Sa’ hitmaker Oxlade, Tiwa Savage, ‘Finesse’ man Pheelz and the Dancegod Lloyd-led Ghana’s Dance With a Purpose Academy (DWP).

The festival’s core goal aside, it casts the West African country as still very much a convergence point for partygoers of various identities, ages and musical persuasions. 

It also worked as an accurate measurement of the city’s pop pulse, while succeeding as a fine prognosis for December in Ghana, with Afro Nation, Afrochella and the Wildaland Festival among the most talked about. For many years, and notably for its Year of Return campaign in 2019, Ghana has enjoyed a growing worldwide reputation as a thrilling December destination. From all indications, Ghana can expect another global exodus in the coming months.