The West African Music and Arts Festival (WAMAFEST) officially launched in Accra, Ghana, attracting leading music industry professionals and stakeholders from across West Africa.
The festival is expected to be an exciting celebration of the region’s rich cultural heritage and its global influence, culminating in a grand concert at the University of Ghana on Saturday, June 22.
Ghana hosts WAMAFEST for the first time, adding this vibrant event to its growing list of international arts festivals, which includes Chale Wote Street Art Festival, AfroFuture and Black Star Line Festival.
In his opening remarks, Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Board, stressed the importance of cooperation between West African countries to preserve and promote their cultural heritage through music.
“Music knows no borders, and neither should our efforts to preserve our heritage,” he said.
Professor Jasmine Young, Director of Warner Music’s Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University, emphasized the importance of sustaining the festival for future generations.
“WAMAFEST is not just about today; it’s about today. It’s an investment in the future of our culture,” she said.
The holiday will be even more lively with a Juneteenth parade taking place over the weekend to celebrate freedom and promote tourism and economic development in the sub-region.
The West African Music and Arts Festival is part of Beyond the Return, the 10th anniversary follow-up to the 2019 Year of the Return event, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of the first documented arrival of African slaves in Jamestown. Virginia.
The press conference attracted many well-known figures, including Andrew Agyapa Mercer, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Ghana; Second Lady Samira Bawumia; Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Board; and representatives from various West African countries.
Also in attendance were global A&R Warner Records officials, MUSIGA president Bessa Simons, HipHopPreneur and marketing strategist Professor Jasmine Young, as well as numerous music executives and artists including Efya, Reggie Rockstone and Trigmatic.
The stage is set for WAMAFEST, which promises to be a fusion of cultural pride and unity that resonates beyond West Africa.
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