As the adage in Akan says, “agya reba agya anya abɛdru” which translates to “father is finally here.” After several requests by fans and admirers of his music and craft, Ghanaian rapper Kweku Smoke held his first headline concert, “Revival,” in Accra on the 18th of December.
When Kweku Smoke announced the show some weeks ago, there was a general excitement and anticipation for it. Concerns were also raised regarding the venue and how Kweku was going to execute everything advertised.
Ghud Park, the venue for the event, which happens to be this year’s hottest event ground, had already hosted some events and will host many more this December. Off the back of previous events, these concerns were justified. However, when preparation meets opportunity, everything just aligns.
Kweku Smoke to Kweku Jesus
Kweku Smoke’s journey has served as a motivation for many. He moved from being the next big thing to being blackballed, but he readjusted, planned, and picked himself up to go at it again. Releasing a series of projects, including Big Shmoke and Old Compound, Kweku will win back the hearts of many gradually. By 2023, Kweku had cemented his place as one of the most liked rappers in the country.
In 2024, it will not be far-fetched to say Kweku Smoke is the hottest rapper in the country and one of the few presenting Ghanaian rap and hip-hop as commercially successful. He put out two projects, “Born in Hell and Kweku Jesus,” which are part of the most streamed projects of 2024 across DSPs.
Day Of The Revival
Having advertised a series of activities, announcing a start time of 12 pm in the afternoon was a step in the right direction. Off the back of a previous event attended at the same venue, the crowd control with regards to entry was well organized. The security detail was on point, especially around the general event center and various entry/exit points. The decision to separate the various activity centers must be applauded.
Upon entry, the first activity attendees were met with was the Car Show and Drift Center. The next station was the actual ticket check-in, which led people to the food court and main stage. The system put in place to ensure people were checked into the venue was smooth, seamless, and fast.
There were a series of activities happening; to the left was the main event grounds, which had multiple entries for attendees, artists, and media. To the right and center was the skate park, food stands, and what seemed like a stage for performances. The audience’s attention on that stage was non-existent. Perhaps it was the poor sound or the little lighting on that stage, but whatever the idea was for that stage, the execution was not the best.
However, this writer believes anyone who was present will attest to the beautiful organization of the place and its layout. The delay in allowing people entry may have marred the experience for a section of the audience. Between the end of the car/drift show and the entry to the main event grounds took a while.
People did take advantage of the situation to get some food, meet some friends, and interact with fellow “Akatas.” From tech bros to fashionistas, students, workers, and young adults, almost every section of the consumer market was present. This was a testament to Kweku’s grasp on a diverse listener base.
After some delay, patrons were allowed into the main event grounds, which once again had a great layout. The stage, lighting, sound, and other layouts were well executed. At the time of entry, the event had found itself in the later hours of the night. As such, one would have thought performances would quickly follow after a brief warm-up by the MC to prepare the crowd for what was to come. Unfortunately, we had to wait for a while longer. Artists like Haeven, Kwame Yesu, Kimilist, Lalid, and DopeNation did get the crowd hyped up despite some frustrations in the delay of Kweku’s arrival.
Perhaps it would have been great to inform people that “Revival” was going to be a watch night-like service so people would have prepared as such. For some who had arrived at the venue in the afternoon, they were visibly frustrated regarding the dragging of the event into the deep hours of the night, but they still kept their hopes alive waiting to see their champion.
The man of the hour, Kweku Smoke, mounted the stage at about 1:19 am, officially welcoming us to the revival. Surprisingly, the audience, who were visibly unsatisfied with the running of the event till that point, quickly switched to hyper mode as Kweku opened the show with “Hold Tight.”
It was such a poetic entry because people had been holding tight their emotions and frustrations just to see Kweku perform. Kweku’s entry and flow of performance validated the love he had garnered over the years. The execution of the performance mirrored the brilliance of the setup of the place. Various artists like the Life Living Records entourage, Oseikrom Sikani, Gyakie, Beeztrap, B4bonah, Nana Boro, Omar Sterling, and the biggest surprise on the night, Sarkodie, came to support Kweku during his sets.
Concluding Thoughts
This writer left the event grounds with a paradox of emotions after the concert. The concert, to a large extent, solidified Kweku’s place as a mainstay in the industry and validated all the work he has put in. Seeing the joy and excitement on people’s faces was a testament to the love they have for Kweku. Overall, it may have taken Kweku some years to get to this point in his career where he held a statement show to officially kickstart Detty December 2024. The show, albeit some hiccups, was a crowning of a great run for Kweku.
However, the assertion of Ghanaian concertgoers having a humiliation kink might just be spot on. It is imperative that we do not allow ourselves to be taken for granted by artists. People do not have to leave their home early for events only to spend hours on hours just to see their favorite artist perform. Regardless of the end excitement, the delay that drags the show, if avoidable, should be avoided to not leave a bittersweet taste in the mouth of attendants.
Revival was indeed a revival. It felt like a gathering of worshipers of rap music at the event grounds. The love for Ghanaian rap and hip-hop, if it was ever on a decline, was revived on the night. Hopefully, the team will flip the downs of his debut concert into ups in the next and subsequent editions. This writer applauds Kweku Smoke for his determination, dedication, and zeal to press on despite the setbacks and congratulates him on putting on an amazing concert.
