The Adinkra Group, an African Cultural Edutainment Resource and Consulting company based in Washington, DC, is set to launch the second annual Back2Africa Festival and Tour in partnership with The Ghana Tourism Authority and the Year of Return, from 26th of February to the 8th of March 2019 with a line-up of events that focuses on arts, performances, education and service projects in Ghana’s most historic venues in Kumasi, Cape Coast and Accra.
The Back2Africa Festival’s mission is to connect people of African descent with the culture and traditions of Africa and will feature performances from artists traveling from the US including The CrossRhodes, a duo comprised of R&B/Soul Sensation Raheem Devaughn and hip hop emcee Wes Felton and Farafina Kan: The Sound Africa – an intergenerational West African Drum and dance company.
The Back2Africa Festival’s mission is to connect people of African descent with the culture and traditions of Africa and will feature performances from artists traveling from the US including The CrossRhodes, a duo comprised of R&B/Soul Sensation Raheem Devaughn and hip hop emcee Wes Felton and Farafina Kan: The Sound Africa – an intergenerational West African Drum and dance company.
“The Back2Africa Festival and Tour is important particularly as it truly represents the spirit of the Year of Return. We are a family and community on a birthright journey returning to make connections. It’s the first time to Ghana and the African continent for the majority of our group of nearly 100 travellers aged between 6 – 65 years old who are coming to enjoy Ghana but also to learn, share and exchange their talents, perspectives and energy with Ghanaian people,” shares Diallo “Daheart” Sumbry, Founder of The Adinkra Group and a life-long educator who has been travelling to Africa for over 20 years.
Mr. Sumbry is a current and founding member of the Year of Return Steering Committee who has been a key figure in the planning and development of the Year of Return, Ghana 2019 program since inception.
The Back2Africa festival will launch on the 26th of February in Accra with a press reception and a transformation of the Accra Tourist Information Center into the Akwaaba Village, a festive communal ground highlighting live-performances, presentations, local vendors, and African installations to welcome the diasporan community. The Press Reception will feature remarks by Mr. Akwasi Ababio, Chair of the Return Steering Committee and director of Diaspora Affairs, Office of the President, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, Coordinator of the Year of Return and CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Rabbi Kohain,Executive Director of the Panafest Foundation, Gail Nikoi, President of the African American Association of Ghana, Nana Adjoa AdobeaAsante, acting Director of the National Folklore Board, and the Honorable Catherine Afeku, MP and Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture.
Akwaaba Village will be followed by a special Back2Africa edition of JustMusic hosted by the Accra Unplugged Team x Back2Africa at Django Bar/ Rockstone’s Office on the 27th of February with an intimate live performance featuring Raheem Devaughn & Wes Felton of the CrossRhodes and a special Classic Hip, R&B and Soul DJ set by DJ Face. A cross-cultural Open Mic/Jam Session in partnership with the African American Association of Ghana (AAAG) featuring artists from Ghana and the US will be held at the Rehab Beach Club on the 28th of February.
The festival will continue on the 1st of March with the Birthright Annual Concert, a family-oriented concert celebrating the African cultural legacy through traditional and modern African drum, dance and theatre at the National Theatre featuring live performances from Farafina Kan (Washington DC), CrossRhodes (Washington DC), youth performers from Ghana International School (Ghana), and GIS Performers (Ghana). The Birthright Annual Concert has been held in Washington, DC for the past 5 years and this will be its first annual instalment in Ghana.
On the 3rd of March, the diasporan community and attendees will travel to Cape Coast for the Cape Coast Concert and African Ancestry Reveal where a celebratory performance will be held at the Cape Coast Castle to celebrate the resilience and power of African people and families travelling with the Back2Africa tour who have taken the African Ancestry DNA test will have their Ancestry revealed by Dr. Gina Paige, President and co-founder of African Ancestry.