At the vibrant BlacVolta Creative Mix, a premier gathering of African creatives, musicians, and promoters, Oppong Degraft, a notable Ghanaian show curator and Co-founder of Entertainment Week Ghana, delivered powerful insights on the importance of collaboration and inclusiveness within Africa’s entertainment industry.
Degraft, who has a strong background in curating international shows and concerts in Ghana, was featured in a pivotal session of “The Question” where he spoke about the role of unity in reshaping the continent’s creative landscape. His message emphasized two central themes: expanding audience reach and strengthening cultural exchange.
Expanding Audience Reach
“When promoters and curators collaborate across borders, shows become regional rather than just national,” Degraft noted. “A concert in Accra that features artists from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, or North Africa draws immediate interest from those audiences, creating multi-market visibility. This strategy not only boosts ticket sales but also positions Ghana—and by extension, any host nation—as a hub for pan-African entertainment.”
Strengthening Cultural Exchange
Music, Degraft stressed, is a cultural export and one of Africa’s most powerful bridges. “Collaboration allows diverse African genres: Afrobeats, Amapiano, Highlife, Reggae/Dancehall, Bongo Flava, Gqom, and more to cross-pollinate. Inclusive programming ensures no single region dominates the narrative, but instead showcases Africa’s full creative diversity,” he explained.
His perspective resonates with his work on Entertainment Week Ghana, a week-long celebration of creativity set to unfold this December. The platform will feature concerts, exhibitions, workshops, and showcases aimed at positioning Ghana as a central hub for cultural exchange and pan-African collaboration.
The BlacVolta forum not only amplified Degraft’s vision but also set the stage for future cross-border partnerships that could redefine Africa’s entertainment industry. His call to action is clear: when Africa unites creatively, it has the power to captivate the world.
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