Ghana’s newest online radio brings together monthly residents and one-off guests from the emerging music cultures of Africa and the diaspora.
Last month the digital antennas went up and an announcement dropped for Accra’s newest online radio. The residency list turned heads. From gqom pioneer and Nyege Nyege signee Menzi, the unofficial voice of UK Bounce with Karen Nyame KG, or the woman led Kingston sound system Constance Bubble, there is a bit of everything for everybody. Flipping on the live reel, or browsing past setlists has become a pan-African buffet of sounds from the continent and the diaspora. With the motto of “empowering through conversation, collaboration and community” Oroko is trying to build bridges between the many emerging scenes under the broad umbrella of African music with Accra as its center.
We reached out to the Oroko team to get a better sense of their mission and how the project came together. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to throw one of their selected mixes.
How would you describe the radio?
It’s a platform that amplifies and connects independent artists from all over Africa and the Diaspora, a platform from which we can share our stories, visions, and experiences to tackle the issues we care about.
Can you tell us about the origins of the project?
Africa is receiving unprecedented attention in the creative world with Accra on track to become one of the world’s major hubs for culture and technology in the next decade. The creative landscape is thriving, however structures for collaboration between different artists from varying disciplines are limited, particularly youth-led forums for collective conversation.
The project was born out of unexpected friendships in an art studio in a semi-abandoned Accra mall, there our co-founders and industry vets Truseye, Kikelomo, Nico Adomako, and Naëmi Ada (who have roots in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria) and Europe (Germany, UK) launched the project as a remedy to this observation. We want Oroko to be a community radio station providing a global platform for Ghanaian, African and Diasporic voices to be heard, in their own words.
What’s your goal with Oroko?
The station will amplify emerging talent outside of the mainstream as well as develop a community that further enriches the global cultural landscape, nurturing relationships with like-minded projects across the globe. With Oroko we aim to provide a space for important conversations about crucial social challenges.
Tell us about the upcoming spot.
The physical station will be at the new Freedom Skatepark in Accra, founded by the amazing skate and surf collective, Surfghana. They’ve built a vital community that aligns perfectly with our visions, it’s also one of the first skateparks in Ghana! Freedom Skatepark and Surfghana are tapping into a new youth energy and we’re glad to be a part of their story. We also hosted our Steady Signal club night at the skatepark in January.
What are some of your favorite shows so far?
- Santuri East Africa
- Ori by Kikelomo (Oroko Co-Founder)
- Dj Katapila
- The MnR Show by Lizz Johnson
- Jaymie Silk
Listen now to Oroko Radio.
