It often comes spicy, like most Ghanaian dishes, but I asked for mine with no spice due to a stomach issue I have.
I listened to a lot of Afrobeats. I'm discovering some amazing songs by Ghanaian artists such as Wasted Eyes by Amaarae and Comfort by MOLIY and Mr. Eazi. I also got to meet a famous Ghanaian musician named Sister Deborah, which was a comedic and inspiring moment for me.
The most fun activity this week was celebrating Lilly's birthday. She is a member of our cohort, and she turned 21 while we were here. Everyone went all out for her birthday party. Mona (another girl in our cohort) decorated the entire apartment, Grace baked her a cake, and we went out to Republic Bar and Grill and Bella Afrik to hang out and dance.
I read Highlife Time 3 by John Collins for my Afrobeats class. It's a book that explores the history and evolution of Ghanaian highlife music. I learned about the difference between Afrobeat and Afrobeats. Afrobeat is older and is a mixture of jazz, funk, soul, and traditional Ghanaian instrumentation and rhythms. It is known to be socially conscious as well: Afrobeat songs can make commentary on the Ghanaian government or unfair wages. Whereas the Afrobeats genre is the contemporary umbrella term for the fusion of African rhythms and percussion and global genres like hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, highlife, house, and soul.
