British Ghanaian Afrobeats star Fuse ODG and his longtime manager Andre Hackett want their new educational app to revolutionize how young people learn Black history.
Ghana continues its reign as the ‘place to be’ these days. In the last few months, there have been a number of festivals and initiatives that are uniting the African diaspora through culture, tourism and business opportunities. Events such as AfroFuture (formerly Afrochella), Chance the Rapper’s ‘Black Star Line’ Festival, and the swathes of U.S. celebrities who have since ventured to the country for its ‘Beyond the Return’ initiative are just some of the ways in which Ghana is fast becoming an important social and cultural gateway for West Africa and the African descendants in the West.
For British Ghanaian Afrobeats star Fuse ODG it is all this and more–it is home. In fact, when OkayAfrica caught up with him, he’d just come back to the U.K. after overseeing a writing initiative that he helped put together for young Ghanaians. And he’s become known for a career that’s been built on producing music that enlightens and showcases narratives about the continent and its diaspora, in the most authentic of ways.
From his fiery speech about changing the perception of Africa at the 2015 MOBO Awards, to the star-studded lineup of collaborations with the likes of Wyclef Jean and Damian Marley that have shaped his artistic trajectory; from working with Ghana’s 2019 ‘Year of Return’ Initiative, to creating his own line of dolls, which celebrate Black feminine beauty, it’s clear that a vision for a better Africa is undoubtedly a calling for the South London native.
