Music and Activism in Ghana (Wanlov the Kubolor and Kwame Write)

Music and Activism in Ghana (Wanlov the Kubolor and Kwame Write)

The second instalment of a one-day conference in Accra, Ghana, co-organized by Girish Daswani (UofT) and Joseph Oduro-Frimpong (Ashesi University).

The panelists for this conversation on art and activism in Ghana are musician and film director Wanlov the Kubolor and spoken word artist Kwame Write.

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On the State of Popular Art (Media) and Research in Ghana

On the State of Popular Art (Media) and Research in Ghana

The first instalment of a one-day conference in Accra, Ghana, co-organized by Girish Daswani (UofT) and Joseph Oduro-Frimpong (Ashesi University). Conference panelists for this conversation on popular art and research in Ghana include Kobina Graham, Elizabeth Johnson (Chair), Joseph Oduro-Frimpong, Kwabena Opoku-Agyeman.

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Booing is Caring: Mutombo Da Poet on the Global Citizen Festival and Ghana

Booing is Caring: Mutombo Da Poet on the Global Citizen Festival and Ghana

When does booing the President become about caring (about the country)? Spoken word artist and activist Mutombo Da Poet speaks about politics and activism in Ghana, the Global Citizen Festival, and why he spontaneously decided to boo the President. We are joined by satirical cartoonist and activist Bright Ackwerh who premiers his caricature of the booing event and adds his thoughts on activism, Ghanaian politics, and the government’s lack of commitment to climate change.

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Japanese kyōsei: A comparative model for co-existence in Africa?

Japanese kyōsei: A comparative model for co-existence in Africa?

So what exactly is “kyōsei” and is it useful as a concept for comparison with other contexts? Unfortunately (and perhaps this is its strength), there is no “exactly” about it and in typical Japanese fashion it is a vague and somewhat ambiguous term that has its roots in Confucianism, Shintoism and Buddhism, which for some critics renders it a meaningless concept of no practical value. However, its very vagueness and stubborn refusal to be contained within a tidy definition allows it to be appropriated in many diverse areas.

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God’s Business: Artivist Responses to Ghana’s National Cathedral Project

God’s Business: Artivist Responses to Ghana’s National Cathedral Project

A couple of months before the National Cathedral fundraiser, on 2nd December 2018, celebrated Ghanaian artist Bright Ackwerh posted a satirical cartoon on his Facebook page that circulated widely. In this piece entitled “KOTIDROL,” fire and smoke are detected in the background representing the protests and voices of dissent against the Cathedral project.

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