PANAFEST & Emancipation celebrations are officially underway. Last night, American R&B group Tone! Toni! Tone! kicked off festivities as part of the Creative Explosion: African World Artists event at the National Theatre. The Legendary group were the headlining artist and brought back so much nostalgia for attendees when they performed some of their greatest hits including ‘Feels Good’.

Other performances included a cultural drama by the National Theatre Dance Company, performance by South African-Ghanaian artist Chayuta and Ghanaian artist Ras Kuuku.

As part of PANAFEST/Emancipation, the National Theatre will host the Creative Explosion: African World Artists event on Monday 26th July at 7pm.  Tony! Toni! Tone! will headline the show which also features the Derrick Gardener Quartet, South African-Ghanaian singer Chayutah, Ghana’s Ras Kuuku and the National Theatre Dance Ensemble. Tickets for the event are 50 GHS.  

The event will also launch the film, ‘Timeless’ which is Executive Produced by D’wayne Wiggins and features music by the group.  Wiggins is excited about sharing this film because it tells a story that connects the past with the present.  The film was partially filmed in Ghana making it even more important to share during PANAFEST.

Beyond the Return has been an inspiration for people in the diaspora communities to consider Ghana as a place to call home.  When asked what their thoughts were on the 10-year initiative Wiggins said, “I’m excited because I know that, in California, where we’re from, there’s more people that need to understand that we need to unite and come together and I would just say levitate, so that’s what it means to me. It’s really special.”

“I’ve been telling a lot of our people back there in the U.S. they need to come and be around our people out here in Ghana…in Accra, come back for the ‘Year of Return’ said singer Frank Stickemz.  He said it was important to align with the people.  Dyson Thesinger shared similar sentiment adding, “It’s long overdue and it’s definitely a beautiful thing that it’s finally happening, and we definitely need to promote it and push it more and get more of our people over here.”