contradict is a film of our time. Mirroring a world in which Asia and Africa formulate ideas and trends for tomorrow and might replace Europe and the US as global centers soon. Ghanaian musicians and video artists collaborate closely with two Swiss filmmakers. They confront the shift in values in the world, highlighted in the election of US president Donald Trump: the egoism, the inventing and spreading of «fake news», the lacks of restraint, the ruthlessness. They contradict! And do so with video clips, documentary narratives, spoken word lyrics, and tweets via social media. An urgent, unsettling, humorous film that bears witness to the fears, struggles, barriers, dreams and visions of today. By Peter Guyer (Recycled TV AG) and Thomas Burkhalter (Norient), with Wanlov The Kubolor, M3nsa, Poetra Asantewa, Mutombo Da Poet, Adomaa, Worlasi, Akan, and others. – In production 2017/2018.
XL-Teaser Ghana is the Future
The FOKN Bois raise money for the United States of America in the streets of Ghana. Their provocative motto: «Africa is on the way up, and the US are on the way down.» This XL-teaser «Ghana is the Future» – shot in 2014 – shows how these two rappers compete with, against and within various growing markets in Ghana: new churches like the «Alive Chapel International», and mobile phone companies like «Glo Mobile». The rap duo comments on these markets with humour and parody and reaches international and local audiences.
This XL-Teaser was part of the film and multimedia project Sound Translations which now has transformed into the upcoming project contradict.
Ghana Playlist
Ghana offers a great range of contemporary music, inspired by international trends like trap and dancehall, mixed with local rhythms and melodies, sung in different languages, with topics related to corruption, to religion to champagne. Enjoy this round up with recent tracks and video clips.
More info here.
Photos from Research Trip in February 2017
Poetra Asantewa (Photo by Peter Guyer)
Wanlov The Kubolor (Photo by Peter Guyer)
Akan (Photo by Peter Guyer)
Mutombo Da Poet (Photo by Peter Guyer)
Stills from XL-Teaser
Wanlov The Kubolor
M3nsa
Elishah Salifu Amoako – bishop
FOKN Bois
Sister Deborah and monkey Kiko
Benjamin Lebrave – dj and producer, Akwaaba Music
King Luu – filmmaker
Eugene Hoggar – sponsoring manager Glo Mobile
Azonto dancer
Panji Anoff – producer Pidgen Music
Elishah Salifu Amoako – bishop
FOKN Bois – Help America
Street vendor in Accra
XL-Teaser: Footage from Behind the Scenes
Lynx Entertainment Ghana followed us while we were filming in the streets of Accra:
contradict is developed within a broad network of people. Here some articles, books, podcasts, and films that inspire us in our work.
Articles on the FOKN BOIS
> Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah: The FOKN Revenge
> Georg Milz: «Talking Sex in Ghana»
> Stefan Franzen: «Der Trickster aus Accra»
> Stefan Franzen: «Afro-Ulysses im Doppelpack»
> Samuel Burri: «Armtanz Azonto»
Articles on Music in Ghana
> Florian Carl: «Never Go Back – Ghanaian Gospel Music, Born-Again Christianity, and the Nonconformity of the Ethnographer.»
> Stefan Franzen: «Zwischen Hiplife und Afrofunk»
Books on Music in Ghana
> Jesse Shipley. 2013. Living the Hiplife. (Info)
> Steven Feld. 2012. Jazz Cosmopolitanism in Accra. (Info)
> Nathan Plagman. 2012. Highlife Saturday Night. (Info)
> John Collins – A great variety of articles and books by this important scholar (Here)
Films by The FOKN Bois
Documentary Films on Music in Ghana
(full movies and trailers)
> Jazz Cosmopolitanism in Accra, DVD Trilogy. By Steven Feld (Here)
Podcasts
Our friends at Afropop Worldwide released a series of podcasts on music in Ghana – more or less at the same time we were filming our XL-Teaser in Acra.
[…] Bereits produziert ist ein XL-Teaser zu der geplanten ersten Episode in Ghana. Die beiden ghanaischen Rapper Wanlov the Kubolor und M3nsa – FOKN Bois – sammeln mit ihrem Track «Help America» Gelder für die USA auf den Strassen von Accra. Wir filmen die Rapper und diskutieren in Ghana, wie weit ihre Sammelaktion bloss Spass und Provokation ist, oder wieweit sie einen ernsthaften Blick in die Gegenwart und Zukunft bietet – so wie es der ghanaische Produzent Panji Anoff ausrückt: «Afrika ist auf dem Weg nach oben. Die USA sind auf dem Weg nach unten.» Der XL-Teaser (gefilmt in 6 Drehtagen in Accra) zeigt, wie das Rapper Duo FOKN Bois mit und gegen schnelle wachsende Märkte in Ghana konkurriert: mit den omnipräsenten Neukirchen wie der «Alive Chapel International» oder mit aufstrebenden Mobil-Phone-Firmen wie «Glo Mobile». Die FOKN Bois kommentiert diese neuen Märkte mit Humor und Parodie und erreicht mit ihrer Botschaft lokale und internationale Hörer. Alle Informationen zum XL-Teaser gibt es Hier. […]
[…] Projects > Film «Sound Translations – Ghana is the Future» (see Here + Below) > Book «Seismographic Sounds – Visions of a New World (see and order […]
[…] Projects > Film «contradict» (see Here + Below) > New Norient Book Seismographic Sounds – Visions of a New World (see and order […]
[…] Current Norient Project: «‹contradict› – aka Sound Translations» > Thomas Burkhalter: «Visions of a New World – Ghana» > Wanlov The Kubolor: «In Ghana, Stromae […]