Dancehall4EVA To Showcase Jamaican Music, Culture In Ghana At PinexGinja
With Reggae and Dancehall music now fully rooted in Ghana, and visa-free travel between Jamaica and the West African country now in place, PinexGinja, a Beyond The Return event, is coming in for an encore in Accra, Ghana’s capital, on Christmas Eve, under the theme ‘Dancehall 4EVA’.
PinexGinja, which is co-presented by Jamaican and Ghananian millennials, was the sole Jamaican musical event endorsed by the Ghanaian government as part of the Year of Return commemorations in 2019, following President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s historic visit to Jamaica in June that year, where he extended an invitation to “all Jamaicans” to visit Ghana for the celebrations.
Ghana and Jamaica subsequently waived entry visa requirements for their citizens wanting to travel to either country effective July 1, 2019, partly on the premise that most Jamaicans’ ancestry can be traced back to Ghana and other parts of West Africa.
Now, PineXGinja which was first held in December 2018, is back for its third staging having skipped December 2020, due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event and will be held at the Pearly Gate Gardens in East Legon, in Accra, with Ghananian music selector DJ Maleek, international music selector DJ Quenchie representing Jamaica and Blaq Pages representing the United States, at the turntables.
Considered a feel-good Dancehall event, PinexGinja’s playlist will this year, will celebrate the Queens of Dancehall with tracks from giants such as Sister Nancy, Lady Saw, Macka Diamond, Patra, Macka Diamond, Tanya Stephens, Lady G and Spice.
PinexGinja has also promised what it describes as ‘Pure Kartel’, in tribute to the musical works of Vybz Kartel, who declared in January 2020 that he was “not Jamaican but Ghanaian” to the delight of his doting Ghananian fans.
The organizers, which include Jamaican journalist Mark Beckford and co-founders Femi Kayode and Lakeshia Ford, have also compiled a Dancehall4Eva Mixtape curated by Ghananian music selector DJ Maleek, and which contains authentic ‘dancing’ Dancehall tracks from the 1990s and 2000s led by Vybz Kartel’s Dancehall Can’t Stall and Fever.
The compilation also features other massive Dancehall hits such as Beenie Man’s Who Am I, So Special by Mavado, Serani’s No Games, Bam Bam by Chaka Demus and Pliers, Heads High by Mr Vegas, Man a di Least by Lady Saw, Naw Get No Bligh and Like Glue by Sean Paul; Position by Terror Fabulous and more recent hits such as Click Mi finger by Korrupt and Charlie Black’s Party Animal.
Another playlist which has been curated, consists of 40 current-day tracks. Among the featured tracks are Three Little Birds by Vybz Kartel, Levels, Pool Party, Find Dem by Popcaan, Top Shotta is Back by Mavado, No Underwear by Dexta Daps, as well as other tracks from Jada Kingdom, Shenseea, Kabaka Pyramid.
PineXGinja’s organisers say that they recognised years ago, that “an organic movement was ongoing where people of African descent across the world were connecting more, because of technology and travel being cheaper”, and that culturally, the sound of the world was being heavily influenced by Reggae, Dancehall and AfroBeats.
As a consequence they conceptualized the event as a means of “encouraging travel to Africa and pushing Jamaican culture in Africa”.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness had, during the President Addo’s official working visit in 2019, held bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening trade, investment and tourism and travel between citizens of Jamaican and Ghana, as well as goods and services between the two countries.
Holness had said then, that improving air services between Jamaica and Ghana was a priority. However, although COVID-19 has seemingly temporarily interrupted the idea of direct flights for the moment, PinexGinja could benefit in the long run, as it has already been demonstrated that direct flights can work between West Africa and Jamaica, since the first direct flight from Nigeria to Jamaica did take place in March this year, with a stop in Ghana en route.
“I think the travel barrier for Jamaicans to get there has played on our minds, but it is getting better,” Beckford explained.
While Beckford and his team have not sought sponsorship this year, from the Jamaican State perspective, he told Dancehallmag that this was due to the fact that “this year we decided against approaching them because we thought their focus would be on recovering from Covid for the Jamaican market”.
“We have not approached it from a corporate angle, so this is something we should approach next year. It is something that we have on our long term plate. But we do need to target JTB in a concerted effort next year,” he added.
Ahead of the event, Pine and Ginja has been staging a series of what has dubbed “virtual linkups dubbed Sound Connect, between Jamaican radio personalities and their counterparts from West Africa.
“We believe black emerging economies can benefit from stronger geopolitical ties. Our flagship destination event. PinecxGinja is all about linking the Caribbean to Africa,” Ford, said in a statement.
Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall celebrities including Bob Marley had a special love for Ghana, as did his widow, Rita Marley, who is now a Ghanaian citizen. Rita repatriated to Ghana more than a decade ago and lives at Konkonuru, a village near Aburi.
Popcaan has reportedly bought a house in Ghana is highly revered in the West African country where he is treated like a king by his fans, while Ghananian Reggae/ Dancehall artistes Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale are highly respected in Jamaican circles. However according to Beckford, who is a frequent visitor to Ghana, “we need more Jamaicans over there”.
According to the organizers the intention this year, is to take an approach to PinexGinja 2021 in which the power of Jamaican culture, and how potent it is in the African space is showcased.
“Ghana and Jamaica, will always have that genetic connection. At PinexGinja, we’re about showcasing the power of our cultures and how unity is always the preferred option,” Mark Beckford said.