Africa Is a Country

Azonto Germany

Azonto Germany

By
Boima Tucker

The diverse histories and orientations of African pop, the diaspora, and its international dissemination and the speed with which culture travels now.

Youtube screenshots from the Christmas Azonto battle in Copenhagen.

So apparently there’s more to the Ghana-Germany connection than the Boateng boys. I think the Azonto rave in Hamburg this past January is proof of that. It’s perhaps an illustration of some of the points we were trying to make about diverse histories and orientations of African pop, the diaspora, and its international dissemination. If anything, this is all an illustration of the speed with which culture travels now.

When I went to the Ghana independence day bash in Manhattan a year ago there was none of this Azonto craze. This year, with the group, V.I.P., in the building, I’m sure it’ll be Azonto all over the place.

But back to Europe. It’s not only contained to Hamburg. There was a Christmas Azonto battle in Denmark, and if you look hard it was not only Ghanaians in the building either. I continue to be surprised but excited by such cultural manifestations, and how we’re able to see how global culture is morphing in front of our eyes.

Till, a Hamburg-based DJ friend who represents the So Shifty crew sent me videos, and has done an Azonto mix. I probably would have been surprised that he was so up to the time with a bunch of tracks I knew from clubbing in Accra, Monrovia, and Freetown this summer, but in the context of all this, it definitely makes sense. Tracklist here.

Further Reading

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In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

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