"The country is already carving a niche for itself as far as culture is concerned. There's diversity here. Music Week is another invitation for people to come to Ghana if music is their thing, to learn more about our country," says Kuffuor.
Music is definitely my thing, and the week proved Ghanaians do it well. I saw more variety in musical styles than at any European festival I've been to.
A highlight was a performance by musician M.anifest, who performed a history of Ghana's musical landscape, perfectly executed in slam poetry. He moved from traditional, pre-colonial chants to the smooth croons of Ghana-originated highlife (a fusion of western melodies, soulful singing in local dialects, and African rhythms). From here he segued effortlessly to politically conscious reggae, on to hip-hop's influence from the 90s, to today's hiplife (highlife fused with hip-hop), which is teamed with Ghana's obsession with Azonto, a dance that originated here and which, thanks to YouTube, has managed to capture a global audience.
The biggest event of the week was the Ghana Unity Concert, on March 6, to celebrate 56 years of independence from British rule. Against a backdrop of symbolic Ghanaian images projected on massive screens, the concert confirmed the diversity of the country's music: praise songs belted out by one of Ghana's premier gospel singers, Gifty Osei, patriotic reggae by Blakk Rasta and, at the other end of the spectrum, loud, aggressive hip-hop in local dialects. The speakers boomed and the crowd was amped.
The week closed with a star-studded awards ceremony. There were more stand-out performances - reggae star Rocky Dawuni was incredibly energetic. He was awarded an International Act honour for promoting Ghanaian music globally, having played with Stevie Wonder, collaborated with U2's Bono and toured the world extensively. He'll perform in New Zealand next year.
I asked Dawuni why we should pay attention to music from his homeland. He says there are plenty of obstacles to getting tunes from this developing nation out into the world, because of a lack of music institutions and distribution networks, but he hopes his success shows his country is worthy of international recognition.
"As a Ghanaian musician, my success is a testament to the potential of the music industry here. This is a spring of great talent that, if nurtured and given the opportunities and platforms, can impact far and wide."
So, search "Azonto" on YouTube and get practising: if this first Music Week was anything to go by, there will be many more Kiwi performers heading to Ghana in years to come.
Info
Getting there
Flights from London to Accra cost about NZ$900 return. Try skyscanner.net for deals.
Where to stay
Hansonic Hotel: Quality budget hotel in Accra, about 10 minutes drive from the city centre. Book through www.hostelbookers.com
Afia African Village: Pricey, but on the ocean
and central to big cultural attractions, afiavillage.com
Getting around
Penny-pinchers should try tro-tros – deteriorated vans packed full, running on set routes and incredibly cheap, about 50 cents between landmarks. Private taxis within Accra should not exceed $6 but be prepared to barter.
• Stacey Knott paid her own way to Ghana and stayed courtesy of hostelbookers.com. Keep an eye on musiga.org.gh for details of next year's Music Week.
