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#Ghana60YearsOn: #MightyAfrican stories, thoughts and hopes

We called it the GhanaThink Foundation because we thought (and would continue to think) about Ghana. It's been more than 12 years since GhanaThink was born. It's also been a while since I did a blog post, or even wrote a piece for this #mightyafrican blog . Today is a great day to break that duck. Ghana is 60 years old ! We are celebrating, marking, reminiscing, criticizing, strategizing, thinking and doing.  I love #Ghana so much. It's great to mark #Ghana60YearsOn . #Morevim 4 all that we do. #GhanaAt60 : Less talk, more action. More vim to that. pic.twitter.com/oy793QMr8X — Ato Ulzen-Appiah (@Abocco) March 6, 2017 To be frank, I am not as excited about Ghana, mostly because of our growth pace, development we can fell in around us and in our pockets and the politics and antics I've seen that are hurting Ghana and don't seem to be abating. However, I have always been excited about Ghana. More than 10 years ago, I decided to stop bothering and focusi

Colouring the map of Ghana on its birthday, amongst shots & songs

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Ahead of March 6th , I told my wife Tracy that I was going to an event which was about Karaoke, Sip, & Paint . I mentioned that I was not as keen about the painting, but the karaoke? Count me there. Sipping is just a bonus. Babe said that why would you go to a painting thing and not paint ? She's a painter. Literally in more than one way and figuratively too. She's painted some pieces, and she can draw well to boot. I have always wanted to go with her to some of the painting things, whether at the Republic Bar, Eleven15 , anywhere we can access. Ghana's Independence Day Holiday brought an opportunity for me and I took it. Today is March 23 , as in 23-3 , which has 233 in it. I took another opportunity to expand the painting, especially of a Ghana map on Ghana's birthday . The venue was in Labone - the Brown Sugar Lounge . I arrived at Brown Sugar Lounge and sought out  Efe Keyz . She's a  musician , an entrepreneur running El's Foods Ghana and an  AccraKon

How I spent Ghana's birthday on March 6, 2024 - #IMGBT

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March 6 is a very important date for me . I think you know why. March 23 is also very important. You might not know why. It's not because it is the date I am writing this blog post . It is because it is 23-3 , the date. You get it now? 233. #233moments . This is the date within #HeritageMonth that I chose to write about what I did on the date for which March is also called #GhanaMonth . I had a memorable day.  I wanted to go for the #HeritageCaravan this year. But even though I carved out the time; time, chance, expenses, responsibilities happened to it. I remember how I shouted "No, No, No" when I heard on the Citi Breakfast Show one morning in January that it was sold out. I'd come back to that in another blog post. I spent the first weekend in March in Elmina due to family engagements, great way to start the month actually. I kept wondering what I would do for Ghana's birthday . I was not going to attend the parade, I listed many reasons around that in an

#MusicWeDeyFeel: All-time Favorites, including these from Sarkodie

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The last time I saw Sarkodie perform was at the #PresecBonfire night in 2022. I was chatting with some Odadees and all of a sudden, people stopped chatting and started paying attention to the stage. You Know What Time It Is ! It was Sarkodie who had appeared on stage and everyone had to listen to him, see him perform, and sing or rap along. He thoroughly deserved to be crowned the artist of the 2010s decade in Ghana. People believe he is the true torchbearer who took over from Obrafour. Sarkodie has been freestyling for ages in Tema and releasing mixtapes that went viral. He's become very commercial, but why shouldn't he? He deserves his success in my opinion.  Haa baako y É›  10K! I just love the way he reps Tema . One day, we shall find a way to bring Sarkodie to Barcamp Tema , that's a dream. SarkNation is a thing. It's not just the music, it's the aura, it's the concerts, it's the songs he drops with the pulse of the people. Truly, an artist. I am going

#MusicWeDeyFeel: All-time Favorites, including these from Usher

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In this tournament squad of musicians , this spot came down to Usher & Ne-Yo . Or this post for that matter. Usher won because he sang about waakye. I am lying? Have you seen this meme or clip before? There is a TikTok trend about this too o! I love American R&B and Usher is one of the all-time best. He even came to Ghana to perform at the Global Citizen Festival . No, I have not met him before. I have not even tried to go to any concert he is performing at. iTunes was good for me, YouTube is the ish. Let's enjoy the music, or the groove, if you wanna move.  U Remind Me I heard this song in 2001 before I went to the US to attend MIT. This song makes me think about fleeting crushes, women I saw and thought were cute and never really got to meet. "Yo, I ain't seeing you in a minute, but I got something to tell you, listen" "You remind me of a girl, that I once knew. See her face whenever I, I look at you. Won't believe all of the things she put me

#MusicWeDeyFeel: All-time Favorites, including these from Samini

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Buei!!! Samini was the first young Ghanaian musician to really cross our borders as a superstar. VIP is a group, they did theirs too. I went to him in Dansoman in Museke 's early days. He was a feeling brother! Since then, we have spoken a number of times, and he even joined a Konnect group! If you didn't know Samini was the GIMPA SRC President once, then you should look at him in a better light o. Akye saaa! He's one of the best live performers from Africa, maybe on a global scale too. Breaking News!!!!? You should see him perform live. Or watch this video .  He makes serious music, timeless music, danceable music, lovable music, the kind of music hits you and you feel no pain. There are so many top songs from Emmanuel Andrews Samini to go to bat with. Man! He should be knighted in the music industry. Batman  aka Dankwansere aka Samini has a Midas touch. Bam bili woy! Where My Baby Dey - 2009 Nsem pii. Hmmmm.  I was so excited to hear this song. How can you not shout at

The Ghanaian Dream We Should Be Waking Up To

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As you might know, GhanaThink (of which I lead) has been running the #GhanaianDream campaign. Learn about it here & there , and see some social media posts, especially these ones . There are lots of Ghanaian Dream versions by Ghanaians from all walks of life, and all sorts of opinions, needs, wants, beliefs, situations and experiences. What is my Ghanaian dream? Here it is . I have another Ghanaian Dream . One I would love to wake up to. Read on. Start A Ghanaian man / woman wakes up in the morning in his SSNIT Flat in Accra, turns off his alarm clock made in China , and then tunes into the Citi Breakfast Show via the Citi News app . He eventually gets out of his bedsheets sewn in Kumasi , puts on his clothes made by Wear Ghana , belt made in Kumasi, socks from Chale Socks , shoes from Horseman Shoes , puts on his  Caveman watch . He proceeds to have his breakfast -  Brother's Bakery , Tom Brown Mix from Kolikoli , eggs from Ulzenap Farms , drinks his pineappe juice from Bl

#MusicWeDeyFeel: All-time Favorites, including these from Viviane

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I have to start from the day I met Viviane . It was one fine day before the Afrotainment Museke Online Africa Music Awards in September, 2011 in New York . We were organizing the first ever African Music Awards in the United of States of America. We have done some. Museke . It was a rehearsal for the MOAMAS. Big Apple. Big Personality. Big Performance . Big Voice. Big Beauty. Now you know one more thing about the one-time sister-in-law of Youssou Ndour. I bet you knew she is one of the most famous musicians from Senegal. And a one-time winner of female African Musician of the Year, awarded by Museke .  She is very beautiful, after all these years. Someone would say I'm smitten . Probably my buddy Kwadade.  Viviane Chidid/Chedid/Ndour is one of most beautiful women ever.  I wanted to meet her when I went to Dakar, Senegal too in 2016. Beautiful country. Now, let us make you feel her beautiful music . Champion - 2010 Easy right? Award winner. How could I not like a song called Ch