Kumerican wave: The music, art and business

What started as two teenagers having fun with a funny American slang about Kumasi has now turned into full-blown cultural identity craze about the garden city.

In the minds of believers of this social media craze, Kumasi is now the Ghanaian version of America, known as Kumerica.

Towns in Kumasi are now named after cities in the United States of America.

Oforikrom is now Arizona, Bantama is Florida and the statue of Komfo Anokye is now likened to the Statue of Liberty in America.

Manhyia where the Asante Kingdom sites is matched with Washington DC, the seat of American government.

Some teenagers, believed to be residents of Tafo, a suburb of Kumasi, broke the internet with this hilarious video portraying Kumasi in an American slang accent.

The video which created laughter on social media went viral and won the hearts of many.

With time many adopted it as a challenge, creating their own versions of the Kumasi-America identity.

Now, people are photoshoping passports to show their Kumerican identity on social media.

‘Saka’, an existing street language in Kumasi, is a part of the Kumerican culture which is a fusion of Twi and English rearranged in a special way.

Sagging, tattered jeans, sneakers, tattoos, and others known as ‘akata’ mimick the ghetto life of Americans.

To these young musicians, most of them underground artistes, Kumerica is a movement which tells the Kumasi story in an African American culture.

Black Foreigner and Armani Sosa, part of the Life Living Records are the first Kumericans.

“We dress and do things like Americans, with time people started calling as America but we were not excited. We called ourselves ‘Kumasi America’, with time we corrupted it to become KUMERICA”, Sosa says.

The movement is a group of at least fifteen young men who have been brought together by music and art.

They call it ‘asakaa’ their local version of the popular trap music.

Gradually, their songs recorded from a make shift studio in a kitchen’s store room are catching up just like the Kumerican wave.

“We didn’t see this thing becoming this huge but today it is bigger than us. This is for all people of Kumasi. Let’s use it to bring back music and art to Kumasi”, Kwaku DMC is leader of Life Living Records.

Many, now associate themselves with the culture, now popular people of Kumasi decent are associating with it.

Young rapper YPEE is one of artiste on the trends after a song on the Kumerica theme. Dancehall sensation, Shatta Wale is the latest to release a hit on the trend.

Frimpong, a musician is amazed at the impact his latest “Kumerica” release has done for his social media numbers.

“My numbers on all social media platforms have gone up astronomically. The downloads are surprising. This is a game changer for some of us”,he told Luv News.

Now, many business men have jumped on the wave printing T-shirts and broach among others with the Kumerican flag.

At second hand clothe dealers section of the Kumasi Central Market, merchandise of Kumerica is the hottest commodity.

The black, green and gold colors of Kumerican flag sell everything with ease.

In a day, Wofa Kay has sold 44 T-shirts and over 30 broaches.

Torchbearers of the Kumerican wave see it as a means to bring back music and art to Kumasi.

But it will need the support gained so far to be maintained.

Are the people here ready for this?