Formerly Bassline Jazz Club, +233 (named after the Ghanaian dialling code) is an intelligently designed club that has live bands six days a week. Inside, there are two floors. The band play on a small stage downstairs, but can also be seen from the U-shaped upstairs. There’s ample seating outside too, which looks onto a glass wall behind which the band play. And external speakers mean its almost as loud outside as in. Each section has its own bar with attentive servers. The food – burgers, hotdogs, chicken, chips, kebabs and pork chops – is mostly off the grill. The music varies between highlife, blues, jazz (although rarely hip hop) and anything else good. There’s only an entrance charge (usually GH¢10) when the band merits it. It’s a hugely popular venue, and rightly so. Probably the best place in Accra to see live music at the moment.
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Sai is the place that Accra has been crying out for: a wine bar that actually puts wine at the forefront of its offering. The space itself is gorgeous; there’s intimate seating for couples, but also a large, high table at which to perch with friends over a cold bottle of Muscadet. The wine list spans the globe, and there’s a particularly good range of champagnes and sparkling wines. For food, there’s a new menu of snacks, sandwiches, salads and tapas served all day. It holds regular events too, including a book club and ‘Bottomless Bubbly’ for a couple of hours on Friday evenings.
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The English Premier League is by far the biggest spectator sport in Ghana and it can be found shown in high end restaurants to local eateries – but this is where to go with atmosphere.
This bar is owned by ‘Godfather of Hiplife’ Reggie Rockstone. Reggie has succeeded in creating a kind of hip hop casual environment, so alongside the white leather sofas and bum-grinding beautiful people there’s a relaxed outside terrace and an easy-come dress code. There’s often live music on Wednesdays and it occasionally hosts the Bless the Mic collective (Facebook page). But it’s at weekends when things really get going, with booming hiplife carrying the crowd through to 6am. His GrandPapazz is next door – a VIP only area. But most people will end up on the terrace at some point.
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Step into many of the nightclubs in Ghana's cities and more often than not you'll be confronted with the throbbing beats and visceral energy of hiplife. A blend of hip hop, dancehall and reggae, hiplife has become a favourite of DJs and clubbers alike. But this wasn't always the case. Ghana's musical map was once dominated by highlife - a genre so diverse it managed to not just survive western influence, but incorporate the disparate styles imported to the country over centuries to produce an effervescent sound which reflects the vibrancy of Ghana itself. Although still popular in Ghana, it's also a genre which is being championed by music lovers far from the former Gold Coast, predominantly the boss of UK based record label, Soundway - Miles Cleret.
'Highlife is a real mirror of the 20th century in terms of music. There are a lot of different modern music forms that came out of this era, and highlife is one of them. It's a real mish-mash of everything,' said Miles, who has managed to capture a snapshot of the scene on Soundway's recent release, Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blues 1968-81.
'The roots of highlife are a collage of music, from traditional African music to colonial marching band music, to hymn singing and church music. And as the century went on it absorbed different influences from around the world. So it's got a bit of jazz, a bit of swing, it's got a bit of blues, it's got a bit of Latin music. Then as things go on in the 1960s...
While the dim lighting and pumping tunes advertise it as a drinkers’ hangout, Firefly Lounge Bar also has a comprehensive international menu to accompany its premium spirits. A selection of tapas is a tasty and swift re-fuel for barflies, as is the selection of Middle Eastern dips (GH¢18-28), with crisp slices of French bread for ladling fresh hummus, baba ghanoush and labne. Mains include steaks and Spanish classics such as saltimbocca. The fries are the perfect alliance of crisp and fluffy, and the goat’s cheese croquettes are as wonderful as they sound. As a sophisticated nightspot, Firefly is faultless; as a restaurant, it has some real strengths and sophisticated flavours, but the menu could benefit from a couple of tweaks to back up the price tag.
Fresh and bold Mediterranean flavours reign at this friendly Italian eatery. It’s recently been expanded, and diners have a choice between an indoor restaurant area, outdoor patio, or lounging on the banquettes in the bar area. Patrons devour Italian staples packed with triumphant combinations of smoky black olives, rich cheese, tender artichokes, full-bodied passatas and cured meats. Mains include tagliata with parmesan and rucola (GH¢45), but most people opt for the pizzas (GH¢28 on average), which are superb – giant bubbling disks liberally topped. For a loaded treat, the Quattro Stagioni has mushrooms and artichokes aplenty, and the piquant Diavolo is a simple pleasure of salami drizzled with chili oil. Those heroic enough to vanquish a whole pizza can revive with a espresso in stylish white cups.
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One of the most happening bars in Accra right now, thanks to its relaxed, music-forward approach to the good things in life: alcohol, fried food and really great music. It’s a tiny space that tumbles out onto the street when things really kick off late on a Friday or Saturday. Album covers and black-and-white photos of music stars adorn the walls as Ghana’s best music blasts out (often live on the terrace; check out the Facebook page and Twitter account for details – highlife legend Ebo Taylor has even played here). Even the cocktails use great ingredients not found anywhere else: the Republica is a caipirihna made from traditional palm wine. On a sunny day (and yes, it’s always sunny), try one of their ‘Wild Beers’: the Beer Sap has bissap concentrate added to it. Fittingly, the food is good beer fodder too – the cassava chips are a fabulous drinking accompaniment, while the Fire Go Burn You pepper soup and Ye Ye Goat curry, for around GH¢12, are superb value for something this tasty.
The Shisha Lounge is Osu’s newest hotspot, filled well into the night with partygoers attracted by its laidback vibe, outdoor seating, superb DJ roster and some very fine cocktails. It’s a small, but well-designed space with a series of patios, outdoor lounge seating areas, plus an indoor bar and lounge. They turn out great pizzas from the bespoke oven, plus sharing platters. There are, of course, shisha pipes to hire if you’d like to indulge. It’s a classy well-thought out joint that steamed to the top of the Accra VIP list. This is a place that is all about the good times!
Open daily from 6pm to very late.
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Kaya meaning ‘home’ in both Japanese and Zulu and 'pure' in Greek, and wellbeing lies at the heart of this multi-experience. Here, we care about the beautiful outdoor bar. Kaya is at its most alluring at night, when the sparkling terrace is illuminated and transformed into one of Accra’s best party venues. The vibe is soulful sounds and jazz. On Fridays it becomes resident to one of Accra’s most renowned DJs, who draws a younger crowd to the very buzzy cocktail bar. The cocktails are unmissable, with hyperactive mixologists using inventive ingredients to create masterpieces.
The hugely respected Ghanaian artist Ablade Glover established this renowned arts venue, which has become one of the most important of its kind in Ghana. There are three expansive floors of art displayed in cool marble galleries. Some are by established artists, such as Owusu Ankomah and George Hughes, whose paintings are reminiscent of Jean Michel Basquiat and Willem De Kooning, while others are by new and upcoming artists like Ebenezer Borlabie. Market, rural and urban scenes are interspersed with political satires – and naturally, there are also the shrouded figures and staccatoed crowd scenes by Glover himself. There are collectors’ pieces too: Asafo flags with appliquéd and embroidered symbols; ancient strip-woven Kente cloths by the Akan and Ewe; African masks of the type that inspired Picasso; and intricately carved furniture. Also on show are full-sized coffins in the shapes of crabs, running shoes and eagles. Everything is for sale. There’s a lovely pool out the back.
African art is a good investment. New World Map by El Anatsui, a Ghanaian artist recently appointed as the first African Royal Academician, sold in 2012 for £541,250, a record for contemporary African art. The works of the late Nigerian painter are also fetching hundreds of thousands, while Ghana’s Ablade Glover, who had a recent solo retrospective at the October Gallery in London, has long gained acclaim internationally. And of course, Ghana’s now famous “coffin art” has understandably captured attention throughout the world; works can be seen in the British Museum in London
Yet locally, the art scene is only just beginning to get off the ground. This has been disappointing to some, although others have seen it as an opportunity – quality is getting better all the time. If you’re looking to purchase, aim for those works that aren’t mere copycats. Commercial galleries in Accra are great places to pick up quality art at a decent price. One new gallery, which also offers a “consultation service”, is Tiga African Art – it’s a good place to buy paintings and, not so commonly, sculptures. Loom Gallery owner Frances Ademola, doyenne of Accra’s art scene for decades, has been spotting emerging artists in Ghana for more than 40 years. She cites Gabriel Eklou, Gordon Amponsah, Seth Clottey and his eldest son Serge Clottey as the artists to watch out for. Samuel Agbenyegah (also known as Samkobee) is also a young and highly-regarded artist. “He came to me when he was 12 with two...
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The opening dates and gallery locations for Wiz Edinam Kudowor’s first major retrospective in Accra, has been announced. The collection is made up of more than 50 powerful paintings and other assorted works that have never been displayed in the public domain. After a series of discussions and curatorial advice, it was decided to stage a multiple-location exhibition due to the expansive nature of the collection.
The collection spans a period of 40 years including works from Wiz’ high school days from the early 1970s. The works include figure drawing, portraiture, still life, architectural designs, fabric designs and his well-known signature style of figurative abstraction with influences of African masks, geometric patterns and esoteric symbolism. The medium range from pastel, acrylic, charcoal, collage, appliqué and watercolour.
The exhibition opens at Ano Gallery on Friday, 16th March and follows through with subsequent openings on 20th and 22nd at Berj Gallery and Artists Alliance Gallery respectively.
This retrospective will reestablish Wiz Kudowor as a powerful force to reckon with in the vibrant Ghanaian art scene.
Sela Adjei will be the lead Curator for the Exhibition. Curatorial advisors for the exhibition are Prof. Ablade Glover and Nana Oforiatta Ayim.
Follow AnoGhana, Grin Studios, Berj Gallery and Artists Alliance Gallery for further details.
Along the seafront near Black Star Square is the Arts Centre. Hawkers attack from all sides as soon as you arrive, but if you’re not exhausted by the scrum you can find carvings, baskets, drums, bags, beads, fabrics, sandals, sculptures, stools, rugs and occasionally antiques. It’s a place to unearth some incredible finds and gifts. The best bet is to head past the hassle which you’ll inevitably encounter at the entrance and make your way towards the back of the complex, where it’s a bit more relaxed. Haggling is expected. There’s also an art gallery, which sells prints and paintings at reasonable prices.
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Loom’s Frances Ademola has a popular gallery that exhibits paintings and sculptures by a good selection of Ghana’s foremost artists, with a smattering of expressive Nigerian pieces. The modest space has been here since 1969, and is bursting at the seams with the work of nearly 100 artists. If Ademola is around, she’s delightful company, chatting exuberantly about artists such as Seth and Serge Clottey and Gabriel Eklou, and happily offering her great knowledge of the Ghanaian art scene, past and present. Loom is regarded as one of Ghana’s premier galleries.
In this, the first in a Q&A series with artists living and, or, working in Accra, we chat to Austrian social and cultural anthropologist and filmmaker Sandra Krampelhuber about her documentary “Accra Power”.
Accra Power features young Ghanaian artists Poetra Asantewa, Wanlov The Kubolor, Serge Attukwei Clottey, DJ Steloo, and others, sharing their varied perceptions of power. It also addresses the clashes between modern influences, such as technology and economic growth, and traditional belief systems, as well the current energy crisis in Ghana.
The film was shot during the Chale Wote Street Art Festival 2015, and screened at this year’s edition of the festival. I caught up with Sandra soon afterwards, and we chatted about the film and her experiences in Accra.
Please tell us a bit about your background.I studied social and cultural anthropology in Vienna. That’s quite a while ago. This is actually my third film. The first film was about women in the Reggae and Dancehall culture in Jamaica, made in 2006. In 2014 I made my second film called “100% Dakar”, which screened last year at Chale Wote. It’s about the young creative arts scene in Dakar.
What was your motivation for shooting in Accra? And what was your motivation for using the characters you chose?I’m very interested in urbanity in Africa, and mainly in West Africa. My last film was “100% Dakar” shot in Senegal, and was about the young thriving arts scene in the capital of Senegal. Then, I knew I had to choose...
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The Foundation for Contemporary Art at the WEB du Bois Centre (a research centre for Pan-African history and culture, named after African-American civil rights activist William Edward Burghardt Du Bois) was set up by Joe Nkrumah, formerly of the National Museum, and Australian artist Virginia Ryan. It exhibits work by up-and-coming artists in interesting ways, such as its Art in the Garden projects. Its growing library, now with more than 800 books about visual arts, is one of the organisation’s most important projects. It’s also developing a debating forum and a public database of artists, organisations, galleries and patrons. There’s a wide range of information on its website.
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ANO is an arts institution based in Accra. Ghana. It was founded in 2002 by Ghanaian art historian, writer and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim, as a cultural research platform. Since then it has been involved in numerous collaborations, publications, films, exhibitions and events nationally and internationally, with artists such as Ibrahim Mahama, Zohra Opoku, and Serge Attukwei Clottey; institutions like LACMA, Los Angeles; KNUST, Kumasi; The Tate Modern, London and AccradotAlt, Accra. ANO is opening a new permanent space in Accra in March 2017, which will include an exhibition and screening space, as well as workshop and library areas.
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