Founder and President of African Music Week, Julz Ossom
The African Music Week (AMW) Accra launch event held on December 27, 2024, at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) was a resounding success. The highly anticipated music festival, set to take place from December 15 to 20, 2025, was unveiled with an evening of impactful speeches, panel discussions, and electrifying performances.
The evening began with a warm welcome address by Mr. Yofi Grant, CEO of the Ghana Investment & Promotion Centre, who emphasized the significance of AMW in promoting Ghana’s music tourism potential and solidifying Ghana’s current stance as a leading destination for cultural experiences.
Mr. Julz Ossom, Founder and President of African Music Week, introduced the initiative, highlighting its goals of fostering connections within Africa’s music industry and promoting global visibility for African artists across Ghana and Canada.
A keynote address by Mr. Ruddy Kwakye, Founder & CEO of The Rave Group, followed. Mr. Kwakye’s speech, titled “Music Tourism in Ghana: Leveraging it to Build a Sustainable Music Industry,” underscored how music tourism can drive economic growth, cultural exchange, and industry development.
Notable Addresses
The evening saw insightful messages from distinguished figures:
1. Mr. Bessa Simons, President of MUSIGA, highlighted the role of MUSIGA in supporting the music tourism ecosystem and emphasized its benefits for Ghanaian artists, particularly in creating new revenue streams and opportunities.
2. Mr. Rex Omar, Chairman of GHAMRO, addressed the role of collective management organizations in developing a lucrative music tourism framework, ensuring artists receive fair compensation while promoting Ghana as a music hub. He spoke of the incoming government’s commitment to sustaining and expanding its role in the development of music tourism in Ghana through the Black Star initiative. He also emphasized the need for Ghanaian artists to support and participate in GHAMRO’s activities.
3. Honorable Mark Okraku-Mantey, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, delivered a special message underscoring the government’s track record in fostering a thriving creative industry that aligns with tourism development strategies. He also expressed hope that and confidence that the incoming government would continue and expand on the work done over the years.
Dynamic Panel Discussion
A dynamic panel discussion explored the potential of music tourism in Ghana. Moderated by Eve, the panel featured:
1. Benjamin Anane-Nsiah (Deputy CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority)
2. Khadijat El-Alawa (CEO, The Continent Live; Head of Music & Talent, Afrofuture, CMG)
3. Ivy Prosper (Producer, Speaker, TV Host & Author)
4. Rocky Dawuni (Grammy Nominated Artist, and Social Activist)
5. Edem (Artist & Founder, VRMG)
The panel provided actionable strategies to integrate music tourism into broader tourism initiatives, highlighted successful global case studies, and proposed policy recommendations for sustainable growth.
Discussions included the importance of branding Ghana as a music tourism destination and leveraging cultural festivals to attract international audiences.
Performances That Lit Up the Night
The AMW launch also featured outstanding performances by celebrated artists, including:
1. Bessa Simons
2. Drupz
3. Feli Nuna
4. Byno Ayoni
4. Bugatti Bonsu (Canada)
These performances gave a glimpse into the range and diversity that AMW 2025 will have on its stages during the showcases next year. The event culminated with the official launch of AMW Accra, the unveiling of its new logo, and closing remarks by Mr. Julz Ossom.
Looking Ahead
With the 2025 African Music Week set to bring together creatives, stakeholders, and audiences from across the continent and beyond, this launch event has laid a strong foundation for an impactful festival that will celebrate Africa’s rich music heritage, and the cross-cultural collaboration between Ghana and Canada.
By focusing on music tourism, AMW aims to solidify Ghana’s role as a premier destination for cultural and creative exploration, drawing visitors and investment to the region.
The African Music Week Accra launch is powered by Aim2Impact with support from GIPC, the Ghana Tourism Agency, Beyond The Return, Special Ice, aftownmusic, The Continent Live, GIPC, The New Africa & Made In Ghana consulting.
For more information on African Music Week and updates on the upcoming festival, visit https://africanmusicweek.ca/
