Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa’s 2023 Black Star Line Festival in Accra, Ghana made its historic, inaugural debut with a jam-packed week of events and panels at cultural centers throughout Accra, all culminating in an explosive concert –– combining music, art, and culture. The free gatherings provided opportunities for education, enrichment and cultural diffusion. On Friday, January 6, 52,000 fans attended the monumental concert. The music & arts festival was set in the historic Black Star Square and aims to be a bridge between Black people and artists of the Diaspora and the globe with the continent.
“The Black Star Line Festival is more than just a celebration of Black culture and music, it’s a chance for the Diaspora to come together as a community and remind ourselves of the power that lies within us,” says Chance the Rapper. “It’s an opportunity to honor the legacy of those who came before us, and to inspire and uplift each other. It’s a historic event and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Black Star Line Festival.”
The historic Black Star Square is a monument to the political freedom that was fought for and won by Ghanaians in 1957. Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African country to free itself from colonialism, under the leadership of its first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah –– many nations on the continent soon followed. Dr. Nkrumah was inspired by Jamaican-Born revolutionary Marcus Garvey, who believed in a free Africa and a global connection between the people of the continent and Black people globally. When Dr. Nkrumah developed Ghana’s flag and principles, he insisted that these principles were key to the forward mobility of its people.
The festival title’s origins were inspired by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s iconic Black Star Line. Founded in 1919, and operated by Black people, the line would link America, the Caribbean, and Africa, to global shipping and tourism opportunities. The Black Star Line was a symbol of pride, not only for Africans, but also for Black people in all ports of call. After nearly 40 years, the Ghanian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag.
Chance spent 2022 intertwining the worlds of art, music and cinematography through groundbreaking work and installations, collaborating with artists from The Continent and The Diaspora. His new works include “Child of God” (collab with Gabonese artist and painter Naïla Opiangah), “A Bar About A Bar” (collab with Chicago-based painter Nikko Washington and filmmaker Troy Gueno), “The Highs & The Lows” feat. Joey Bada$$ (collab with Gabonese photographer Yannis Davy Guibingua) –– all of which celebrate Black artists. Chance’s newly released “YAH Know” features prominent Ghanaian artist King Promise.
Chance the Rapper’s highly anticipated new project, Star Line Gallery is due out later this year.
