Homegrown Hip-Hop from Ghana Hits the Bronx!

August 6, 2009

West Africa has a long-standing tradition of traveling storytellers known as Griots (pronounced GREE oh), who combine poetry, music, and oral history. In Ghana, a group of young Africans are continuing this legacy and have captured the attention of international audiences.

Over the past decade, Hip-Hop music has merged with High-Life, the traditional music of West Africa, and this fusion has led to the birth of a new musical genre called HipLife. Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi’s new film, HomeGrown: HipLife in Ghana, is a feature-length documentary about V.I.P. (Vision In Progress), Ghana’s most talented and successful musical group in the emerging HipLife movement. V.I.P.’s. unique members come from a diverse set of religious affiliations, ethnic groups, and language backgrounds. Its members include: Emanuel “Promzy” Abibio, Abdul Hamid “Lazzy” Ibrahim, and Joseph Nana “Prodigal” Ofori.

If you’re in the city don’t sleep on this FREE show in the Bronx tomorrow!

New York African Film Festival Aug 7th
http://www.africanfilmny.org/aff_fest.html#freedman

Ethos Festival in Hastings, United Kingdom Aug. 29th 2009
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/profile.php?id=1467478550

Africa in the Picture film festival (Amsterdam & Rotterdam) Sept. 9th
- 14th, 2009
http://www.africainthepicture.nl/en/