A GNA Feature by James Amoh Junior
Accra, Jan 08, GNA-Ms Angel Bagari, a South Sudanese lady, 30, in a crinkled starched skirt and cropped top, walked demurely to a concert ticketing booth in Accra.
It was on the first day of the Afro Nation Ghana Festival, which took place at the Marine Drive, Independence Square in Accra, Ghana.
She, in the company of her friend Ms Belang Dharuai, also in her 30s, traversed the landlocked country in East Africa to catch the fun of the annual Music festival.
A year after its debut in Ghana, the 2020 event, which they anxiously anticipated, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That did not stop them, they counted the days to the 2022 festival and made it to Ghana.
After security checks, they made their way to the concert grounds. The two, facing each other, with each leaning against a supporting post, seated themselves with some appearance of fatigue.
Like other patrons, they literally weaved through the overcrowded entrance to the event grounds.
“We came all the way for the concert, and there’s certainly no turning back. We had to get in at all costs. “Ms Bagari said, as she stretched for a bottle of water to hydrate after a yawn.
She says, “quite frankly, for a festival as big as Afro Nation, security should have been properly coordinated at the main entrance and ticketing points to prevent the overcrowding that was witnessed.”
Her face, captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and an engaging manner, the beautiful Sudanese lady says although the venue for the festival was big enough to contain the revellers who thronged the venue, it was not as secure as she would have expected.
That notwithstanding, “we are here to party the night away,” she adds, after her initial stern visage and seeming disappointment.
Their amusing adventure was just beginning to assume its entertaining aspect.
Afro Nation Ghana Festival
The urban beach festival, traditionally held in Portugal, aims to unite the African diaspora through music and culture.
It brings together the best African artists in Afrobeats, Hip Hop, R&B, Dancehall, Amapiono and others on one big stage.
Afro Nation gives a global platform to the artists and allows patrons to rediscover their historic connection while celebrating the African cultural heritage through music and arts.
“Afro Nation’s aim has always been to elevate the scene and artists from or inspired by the modern sounds of Africa, and by establishing this stage in Ghana and bringing the exact same high production value from Portugal to West Africa, it is just one step towards a bright new future of live events in the region,” organisers of Afro Nation Ghana; Event Horizon, Festival Republic, SMADE Entertainment, Event BlackStar, said.
“As with Afro Nation Portugal and Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Afro Nation Ghana will work alongside and train local teams to produce the show and bring business to as many local vendors as possible, bringing a positive impact to Ghana’s cultural and tourism economy.”
Indeed, the concert lived up to its expectation as African diaspora and concertgoers from across the globe flocked back to the homeland – Ghana – to witness splendid and surreal global concert experience accustomed with the maiden edition in 2019.
Epic performances
The exhilarating and completely immersing two-day festival which gave concertgoers a pure afrobeat feel, had some of Africa’s biggest showstoppers mounting the big stage.
As the hour of show neared and before the first performer, the sensational Gyakie mounted the stage on December 29, the first day of the concert, the energy on the event grounds had intensified and cheers rose.
The star-stubbed headliners including A-list American rapper Meek Mill, Tiwa Savage, P-Square, Stonebwoy, CKay, Black Sherif, Kuami Eugene, Kidi, Kamo Mphela, Dadju,, Camidoh, performed at this year’s festival.
Tiwa Savage, Nigerian international songstress, who was the sixth act on stage on the first day, proved why she is a showstopper after nearly 40 minutes of back-to-back records.
She received prolonged applause from music fans who were, no doubt, beguiled by not just her delivery, but the ‘sexiness’ she brought on stage with fans staring over the edge with a feeling of awe.
Mounting the big stage in a sublime fashion, dressed in an all-black outfit, the 42-year-old songstress reaffirmed her musical prowess and mastery of performance, sparking waves of excitement in the audience who shouted in approval of her refreshing delivery.
Despite the emergence of new acts breaking the afrobeat scene with diverse talents, Tiwa’s adroitness was made the more apparent as she took the audience into a momentary soul music session, delivering an impassioned vocal of her song “Somebody’s Son”.
Tiwa’s show-stopping performance, Ms Karabo Asala, a South African, who had joined thousands at the Marine Drive, Independence Square says, was “simply top-notch”.
Award-winning US rapper, Meek Mill, who put up an electrifying and astounding performance, albeit short-lived, lasting about 20 minutes, had his fans singing along and chanting his songs.
As the first American artiste to feature on Afro Nation Ghana and his first major appearance in Africa, the fans, who looked visibly disappointed at his rather short performance, after waiting nearly an hour following Tiwa Savage’s equally electrifying performance, hollered with dissatisfaction.
P-Square was at their superior best as the duo undoubted offered a thrilling experience to patrons, throwing music fans intimately down memory lane with records like “Personally, Chop My Money, Bizzy Body, No One Like You” among others
Security, safety, and health concerns
Crowds had started forming several hours before the concert. There was a sea of young people dressed in Afrocentric apparels and dramatic makeup attempting to navigate the metallic barricades at the entrance.
“How do we get in from here,” a black American lady in a ripped denim jean, with peach top, and a pair of heel shoes to match, wondered as she tried to weave her way through the rather long but disorganised queue.
The first day of the two-day concert, which began smoothly, had a few security hitches, corroborative of Ms Bagari’s earlier assertion when she made her way to the concert grounds.
Such security issues seemed to have been neglected as the final day recorded an even worse situation resulting in the abrupt ending of the concert due to “safety and health concerns.”
“At this point, the reason why we are ending this show is for your own safety. Right now, it is crazy outside, and we are trying to ensure that you leave here in the safest way possible.”MCs for the show announced, immediately after French Music Star Dadju ended his almost 30-minute performance.
A Security Personnel told the GNA that the main entrance of the show was overcrowded as some “selfish” persons, without tickets, tried to force their way through to the main event grounds, and that the overcrowding at the gate was very intense, causing suffocation.
“Afro Nation was the biggest scam; I was almost squeezed to death. Some boys besieged the venue. Meek Mill instead of using the artist’s entry, came with his motor bike boys to the admission area, and people started running after him and causing so much insecurity and panic,” a patron took to social media to condemn organisers for not ensuring adequate security.
Ms Karabo Asala, a South African lady, was disappointed at the unexpected end of the concert as she looked forward to seeing Asake and Rema perform live.
However, Ms Asala says the Afro Nation Ghana initiative is remarkable and needs to be supported by the Government through the Ministry of Tourism
“With pre-historical context, where Ghana was used as a point for the transatlantic slave trade, with many Ghanaians and Africans scattered globally, such support is key to boosting domestic tourism and economic development.
So, coming to Ghana for festivals like these in December is quite important because it allows us to reconnect with our roots, celebrate and embrace the Ghanaian cultural heritage,” she adds.
An American urban culture connoisseur and a regular worldwide festivalgoer based in another West African country, who spoke on condition of anonymity, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said, “VIP and Golden ticket holders felt untaken care of.”
She explained that: “The entire entry and arrival experience ranks extremely low on the dignity scale for everyone. Once arriving at Black Star Square, no signs or posting as to where to go. Then, the way to the entrance was pitch dark, with no external lighting. Again, no signs, and a very packed doorway with zero safety measures and sense of authority.”
“Indeed, there was a real lack of differentiation between VIP or Golden ticket holders and General Admissions especially regarding the entry and arrival experience. There was no separate entrance; and even at designated areas, it was poorly designed; patrons had to walk through the packed General Admissions area and blindly locate the little opening leading to the VIP/Golden section on their own – no signs or help.”
Looking Forward
Indeed, symbolically, historically, and culturally, Accra, Ghana and particularly the Black Star Square appeared to be the perfect venue for a concert like Afro Nation Ghana, but there certainly could have been a more appropriate venue because security is essential at such music festivals to prevent crowd surges and crushes.
Even though there were some quality marketing campaigns which sold the Afro Nation brand globally with a great line-up of artists and attracting global citizens, Africa’s global citizens, African diaspora, young population, and influencers, the venue was unfitting.
It is hoped that, in subsequent festivals, the security, safety and health issues will be adequately addressed to give some reassurances to patrons, including Angel Bagari and Belang Dharuai.
GNA