Year 2016 in Retrospect: Poetry in Ghana
So, a couple of months ago, I asked writer and poet O’Zionn to share with me his best 2016 moments in the Ghana Poetry and Spoken word scene. In this post, he list a few under various categories. Here is his list.
It’s been just a few years since I actively joined the burgeoning poetry scene in Ghana. And it’s been one swing of a ride! A lot of hard work has been effected, creativity expended and challenges have either been surmounted or have been too high to scale.
This year hasn’t been any different as we’ve probably witnessed progress in various aspects of this art form. From purely poetry events and/or projects to the ones that are a blend of other art forms but have featured poetry significantly.
From SASA’s “Roots”, January 2nd to Jazz & Qoke on December 30th. Well, you decide. Nevertheless, there’s been so much that has happened and here are some of the highlights of the year for me.
•Audios (Singles)
“Empty Konko” —Laud De Poet
“My CV of Sin” — Rhymesonny
“Love Yourself”— Poetra Asantewa
“Box Mentality” — Ian and Elidior the Poet
“Four 21” — Poetyk Prynx ft. Ugene Kay and
“For 3 a.m.” Kwaku Quansah ft. Euphoria
“Some Other Place” — Mutombo Da Poet
“IWITP” — Akotowaa ft. Meffstone
“Dear Future Wife” — Koo Kumi
“Vote for Me” — Poetra Asantewa ft. Akan
“Femur” — Mutombo Da Poet
Body of Work (Albums/EPs)
Vocal Portraits 3 — Compiled by Kwame Write
“First of All” —Throneroom Perspectives
Solitaire EP — Akotowaa (Listening Session and Project Launch)
Back to Basics —Wonderword (Listening Session)
Videos
“Anti-Indoctrination” — Akotowaa
“Love Yourself” — Poetra Asantewa
“Untitled Ones” — Koo Kumi
Artists
Poetra Asantewa
•Conversations with Poetra
•One Beat Tour in the United States of America
•Lagos Poetry Festival
•Drum Roll, Please
Rhymesonny
•Lyrical Dexterity
•Lagos Poetry Festival
•Rhymesonny’s Show Tours
3. Hondred Percent
- One on One with
Organisations
Kpodola
•Spoken Word Videos
•Kpodola Challenge
MiCheck
•In the process of establishing a National Poetry Association
•Spirited Poetry at Chale Street Arts Festival 2016
Brunch Over Books
•Meet-up with Poets
Workshops
•Gird Writing Camp 2016; Poetry Workshop
•Kpodola 10 Poetry Workshop
Shows
•The Write Experience [Inkfluent]
•See Calendar
•Keep Digging [SASA]
•Unbridled Tongues
•Beneath the Poetry Baobab with Prof. Lade Wosornu
•UNESCO World Poetry Day
•Public Book Reading: According to Sources [Writers Project of Ghana]
•Book Launch: Haiku Rhapsodies by Celestine Nudanu
•Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry Festival — Ghana 2016
•Let’s Write the Future [Poetic Justice Society & Creative Spaces GH]
•Teen Slam [Inkfluent & Mode Conceptz]
•Made in Ghana, 2nd edition
•JiVe
•Verbal Ink
•Poetry Nites with the Rainmakers [March to December]
•Chaskele
•Writers Project’s Public Book Reading with Patron Henekou
•Nkabom Literary Festival [Inkfluent]
•Book Launch: Afriku by Adjei Agyei Baah
•Ehalakasa Festival
•Ehalakasa Slam 2016
There’s quite a lot more than this which happened. I believe there are several things that I must’ve missed out on but that doesn’t mean they’ve been absolutely left out.
I look forward to 2017 and what it has timed up for poetry in Ghana.
O’Zionn (Daniel Appiah) is the 2013 Winner of Ghana Poetry Prize and has recently published Seemingly Untitled-An Anthology available on Amazon.com. Follow him on twitter @Ozionn
