Accrartist: Joss Stone

 Grammy Award and Brit Award winning soul singer Joss Stone kicked off her “Total World Tour” in April 2014 with the aim to play a concert in every country on the planet. Having already completed gigs in Australia, South Africa, Dubai, Morocco, and a number of other nations, she graced Ghana with a one-night-only performance at +233 Jazz Bar & Grill in Accra on January 30, 2017. With the concert only having been announced a few days earlier, and numbers limited by the intimate venue, those lucky enough to get a ticket were in for a real treat.  

Opening for the songstress were Ghanaian artists Wiyaala and Dela Botri, formidable performers in their own right, who had the audience tapping their toes and some even dancing wherever they could find the space to. But it was undeniably Joss Stone, with her trademark bare feet, a fluttering silk dress, and extraordinary voice, who truly had them spellbound. Her charm and candor soon broke the ice though, and several fun sing-alongs ensued. Performing both covers and originals, Stone’s sultry soulful voice was a delight for all present, and her duet with Dela Botri at the end of the night was a brilliant finale. 

Tash Morgan-Etty caught up with Ms. Stone after the show to find out more about her tour and her time in Accra.

What was your motivation for performing in Accra? And was this your first time in Ghana?

It was my first time in Ghana. My motivation for performing was that it is part of my Total World Tour which includes every country on the planet, excluding no-one.

You'll be performing in Cambodia, Germany and Switzerland soon. Which other countries do you hope to tick off your list in 2017?
Every single one of them.

 +233 provided you with a relatively small venue and audience, which seemed to allow everyone to engage with you in a fun, easy and relaxed way. Do you prefer intimate performances like these to stadium concerts?

Yes, I do actually, the bigger the audience, the less connection you can get, it is better when it’s small.

I particularly enjoyed your performance with Dela Botri. Do you think your collaborations with the local homegrown musicians you've encountered on your travels have influenced, or will influence, your own music in any way?
Yes, it definitely does for sure. You are what you eat, and you try to eat lots of different food, lots of different flavours and hopefully, will come up with something unique along the way.

What message do you hope your Total World Tour will send to your fans - both old and new?
That anything is possible and that there are no barriers or separation between people when music and art is involved.

Although you were here for such a brief time is there anything that stands out about your Accra experience? 
Dela and his band stood out, and seeing the horse on the beach when we did our collaboration, as that didn’t happen on any other collab we’ve done!