Afro-Beats As An Alté(rnative): History of Ghana featuring Kobby Ankomah-Graham | Part I

The Department of African & African American Studies (DAAAS) presents an exciting and engaging 3-part lecture series on the evolution of Ghanaian and West African music, featuring Kobby Ankomah-Graham. Kobina will speak on the topic, Afrobeats as an Alté(rnative) History of Ghana. If you are curious and/or passionate about African counterculture, pop culture and music, this event is for you!
Lecture Series Schedule:
PART I | Tuesday, April 29 | 4:00-5:30 PM | Margaret Jacks Hall, Terrace Room (Building 460, Room 426)PART II | Thursday, May 1 | 4:00-5:30 PM | CCSRE Conference Room (Building 360)PART III | Tuesday, May 6 | 4:00-5:30 PM | Margaret Jacks Hall, Terrace Room (Building 460, Room 426)Description:
Music and culture may seem shallow on the surface but they always reveal far deeper stories and contexts that enable us to understand both past and present. In this short lecturer series, participants will engage with the history, politics and music of anglophone West Africa to delve into the dynamic exchanges between Africa and her historical Diasporas, tracing interconnected histories of migration, resistance, and resilience to paint a cultural love story between Africa and the descendants of those stolen from its shores or forced abroad by economic forces. Our focus is on crossing: what has left, what has returned, and what has been transformed as a result.
About the Speaker:
Kobby Ankomah-Graham is a Ghanaian educator, DJ, cultural writer and doctoral researcher. A 2020 Miles Morland African Writing Scholar and a board member of the Music in Africa Foundation, his opinions have been featured in publications such as The Guardian, Aperture, and The Africa Report; his work has been profiled on platforms including the BBC and Global Voices; and his short stories have featured in places like Litro Magazine. A stint as a journalist saw him break a news story that led to the resignation of a Ghanaian Minister of State, and he was the first digital strategist employed by Ghana’s government. He was also the editor of DUST: a pioneering quarterly magazine blending culture with social commentary, which captured the beginnings of Accra’s recent resurgence as a city of global cultural regard. Kobby currently balances lecturing and DJing with research into how alternative musicians in Accra demonstrate care for wider society and social issues; part of a joint project between the University of Ghana and Copenhagen Business School. He has an LL. B in Law and an MA in International Studies & Diplomacy from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).