With a view south over the Gulf of Guinea and out to the Atlantic, Ghana’s capital Accra boasts popular beaches and bustling bazaars. In 1958, the city hosted the First Congress of Independent African States, convened by Ghanaian Prime Minister Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The congress called for an African Freedom Day, and laid the path for the founding of the Organisation of African Unity on May 25th, 1963, which is now celebrated internationally as Africa Day.
The kora is a stringed instrument used extensively in West African music, with Malian musician Toumani Diabaté one of its major exponents on the international stage. Alongside performing the traditional music of Mali, Diabaté has played extensively as part of cross-cultural projects, turning the kora to jazz, blues, flamenco and more. He speaks of wanting to “open a new door for the kora in the world”, and in 2021 released the album Kôrôlén in collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra.
