Explore Ghana’s culture through music, art, and history
Ghana is a nation that never sits still. From bustling markets and animated drummers to revelers in nightclubs dancing to Afrobeat, Ghana moves to its own beat.
Ghanaians have a proud spirit – this was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve independence from the British – which fuels a burgeoning contemporary art scene and an ever-growing roster of cultural events. In this sunny country, art, music, and history combine for a cultural experience like no other.
An enduring history
Ghana’s past has shaped its culture and its people. To get an understanding of where the nation has come from, a visit to one of its UNESCO heritage sites is a must for any visitor.
Cape Coast Castle is one of the UNESCO-listed fortified trading posts and castles lining Ghana’s coast. The site has a resounding historical significance. The impacts of what happened within these walls, and through the ominous ‘door of no return’, reverberated around the globe impacting countless millions and many generations of people.
The museum sketches out in vivid detail the horrors of slavery and Ghana’s significance to the African diaspora as a point of departure for so many and now a gateway of Return.
A legacy of Pan-African connection
W.E.B Du Bois was known as the ‘father of Pan-Africanism’ and encouraged Black Americans to explore their African heritage.
Du Bois left the United States, spending the last years of his life in Accra. His former home in the city center has been adapted into the W.E.B Du Bois Center for Pan-African Culture. The museum hosts his eclectic personal library, alongside other memorabilia paying tribute to his life and legacy.
There are plans underway to transform the current memorial center into a much grander museum complex, designed by Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye’s architectural firm.
40 miles west of the capital, another progressive museum is under construction – The Pan-African Heritage Museum. This is scheduled to open in August 2023, exploring the history of Africa and the cultural heritage of people of African descent through an African lens.
A thriving art hub
Contemporary Ghanaian artists are evolving a dynamic art scene as they explore cultural narratives and identity.
Gallery 1957 is introducing contemporary Ghanaian art to the world, with a space in London, and three sites in Accra. The name is a reference to the year Ghana gained independence and a nod to the role arts and culture played in establishing a national identity. Today, Gallery 1957 is at the forefront of showcasing both emerging and established Ghanaian artists.
Accra has many other outstanding galleries – Nubuke Foundation and ADA \ contemporary art gallery among them – but you can also experience art walking through the streets of Jamestown. In Accra’s oldest neighborhood, irrepressible murals adorn walls, and streets.
Once a year, the Chale Wote street art festival comes to Jamestown and the neighborhood comes alive with evocative art installations and performances.
A steady pulse of live music and events
Threaded through Ghanaian culture is a passion for music, with Afrobeat, Hiplife and more soundtracks to its cities.
Music takes center stage at Afrochella. Now in its sixth year and expanding with each iteration, the festival also showcases food, art, and fashion from across Africa. An uplifting celebration of African talent, Afrochella has become one of the premier music and art events on the continent. This December, Afrochella is listed as one of 96 events endorsed by the Ghana Tourism Authority in its highly anticipated “December in GH” calendar of events.
Accra is also home to eclectic live music venues. In the capital city, hot nights are spent on dance floors vibrating with the stamp of laughing revelers’ feet. One of the most iconic places to dance until dawn is The Republic Bar. Here, you can find frequent DJ sets and cocktails made from locally distilled spirits. Situated in the busy Oxford Street in Osu, visitors can party into the morning with a mix of street food and acrobatic dancers.
For first-time visitors, the visitghana app is an essential guide to navigating Ghana and making the most of its music, art, and history.