Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa have announced the inaugural Black Star Line Festival, which is set for next year in Africa.
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The Chicago artists launched the concept of the festival months ago and now they’ve solidified their first lineup, headlined by big names like Erykah Bady, T-Pain, and more. The show will also feature Chance and Mensa performing.
Other notable performances include Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys, and M.anifest.
The free concert is officially slated for January 6, 2023, in Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana.
The free tickets are available starting today (November 21), HERE.
“Since 1957, Ghana has been a support system and stronghold for Black liberation globally,” says Chance. “This year Accra became a second home to me, and my Ghanaian friends have become my family. We’re incredibly humbled and honored to build something from the ground up that creates community and memories for Black people of the diaspora & continent for years to come. Akwaaba!!”
According to a press statement, “Black Star Line Festival is a celebration of Pan-Africanism, building bridges between Black people and artists of The Diaspora with The Continent.”
The release continues, “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 Black Star Line 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 Ghanaian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag.”
In the days leading up to the concert, Black Star Line Festival will also host a week-long series of events and panels at cultural centers throughout Accra, starting the first week of January.
Chance the Rapper’s highly anticipated new project, Star Line Gallery, is due out soon. For more information please visit HERE.
Photo Credit: Keeley Parenteau / Shorefire Media
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