A year has already whizzed by since the last edition of the Jankalanga Festival, and the Wazumbians Band is poised to host another delightful one in March this year.
Unlike previous times when the festival was mainly a music affair, it has widened in scope this year and is billed to come off from March 21 to March 31.
Activities lined up for the period include familiarisation trips to places in the Greater Accra, Volta, and Eastern regions, beachfront relaxation, boat cruises, a traditional connection ceremony, and a meet-the-artist party.
The high point of the festival will be two concerts scheduled for the Abajo Culture & Art Café and the +233 Jazz Bar & Grill, both in Accra, on March 27 and March 28, respectively. There will be guest performers from the United States, French Guiana, France, and Nigeria at the concerts, which will also feature Ghanaian Highlife great Pat Thomas.
“The idea is to involve more people from the African diaspora. We believe closer interaction will afford everyone a better chance of understanding and positively utilising the bonds that unite us,” says Wazumbians leader, Francis Chapman Abban-Hagan, known widely as Wazumbi.
‘Jankalanga’ is a word Wazumbi coined in 2018 for a live showcase of the band’s style of presentation and repertoire on Facebook. It went down well with a lot of people during the COVID-19 era. With the expanded exposure, Jangalanga became a fully fledged outdoor festival in 2024.
The Wazumbians have toured the United States on four occasions with their infectious Afro-fusion music. They played gigs in several states and gained a bigger following for their energetic blend of African rhythms. Apart from the United States, the Wazumbians have also played gigs in Trinidad, France, Colombia, Togo, Nigeria, and Benin.
“We’ve made a reasonably solid impact in several places. The Jankalanga Festival is where people get to appreciate the sum of what we have been doing in different parts of the world. We know our followers always expect first-rate stuff from us. That’s why we also strive to give them good entertainment at all times,” the group’s leader says.
As a warm-up to this year’s Jankalanga Festival, the Wazumbians played a high-energy gig at the Republic Bar & Grill at Osu two weeks ago. They were well-received, and the hope is that the upcoming festival will be well-attended.
The Wazumbians are grateful to all who have contributed to making the Jankalanga Festival a success so far. They include the Afromondo Music Management, ASK-TK Studios, Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), +233 Jazz Bar & Grill and all the musicians that have featured on their programmes.
By Ndaye N’Diaye
