Gramps Morgan is PANAFEST 2017 ambassador

Gramps said at an unveiling ceremony in Accra that he had travelled to Ghana on two previous occasions and appreciated how the country’s doors had been opened to the Diaspora since independence in 1957.

“The time has, however, come now to open those doors a little bit wider to attract those in the Diaspora to come in and make an impact in business, in the arts and in other areas of social endeavour,” the musician said.

PANAFEST is a landmark biennial festival which has been celebrated in Ghana since 1992. It usually attracts scores of artistes in both the visual and performing arts from the Diaspora and other parts of Africa. This year's festival will be held on the theme: 'PANAFEST @ 25 - The Power of Pan-African Culture'.

Though, as usual, the reverential components of the festival are scheduled to take place in Cape Coast in the Central Region, the 25th anniversary opens on July 25 with wreath-laying ceremonies at the tombs of Pan-African stalwarts W.E.B. Dubois, George Padmore and Kwame Nkrumah in Accra. It ends on August 2 with an international concert slated for Accra.

Activities to be hosted in Cape Coast during the 10 days of the festival include the opening of an emporium and visual arts exhibition, visits to historical sites, series of international variety performances, a colloquium and a grand durbar of chiefs and people.

“Coming home to Africa is one of the most difficult things confronting even affluent people in the Diaspora – especially those in the United States. That’s because most of them still know little or nothing about Africa, and for that matter, about Ghana.

“As I go back home, my responsibility as a PANAFEST Ambassador is clear. I’m going to reach out to my network of friends, associates and all the conscious people out there and encourage them to visit Ghana to sample the nice, peaceful life here and try out some banku or fufu and palm-nut soup,” Gramps said at the unveiling ceremony.

Morgan Heritage’s album ‘Strictly Roots,’ won the Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category in 2016.
Asked if, as a headliner, the entire five-member Morgan Heritage group would perform at PANAFEST 2017, Gramps said if everything worked out well, he could get the whole band to participate in the festival.
“After all, I’m the oldest brother in the band and I can decree that they all come home for Panafest.” he jokingly added.