Afrochella is an annual celebration of West Africa's diverse cultures and the vibrant work of the region's creatives and entrepreneurs, taking place in Accra in December every year. This year's event launched on 28 December and will continue until 1 January. The annual festival aims to highlight the exciting, new talents of Gen Z and Millennial Africans by presenting interactive events that teach and explore West African music through history and performance. With female African acts like Amaarae, Gyakie, Ayra Starr performing, along headlining African American artist Ari Lennox and Nigeria's Wizkid, Afrochella presents a culmination of "Detty December" antics that draw in visitors from across the diaspora every year. 

With "Detty December" comes parties, cultural inspection and general enjoyment, with the term heavily tied to trips to Anglophone West Africa, namely Nigeria and Ghana. Its origins relate to the 2019 "Year of Return" campaign, launched in September 2018 by President Nana Akufo-Addo. The year 2019 was significant as it marked 400 years since the first enslaved Africans reached the US. The drive invited people of African descent to return to the continent – specifically Ghana – to rethink their identity and reclaim their roots. 

December 2019 was a memorable time for musical and cultural appreciation in Ghana, with not only Afrochella taking place, but the now-infamous Afro Nation Ghana festival, along with Ghana World Music festival - to name a few top shows. Black and mixed-race celebrities, such as supermodel Naomi Campbell, actor Idris Elba, actor Boris Kodjoe and musician Cardi are among those who have helped to bridge the gap between government policy and the general public by promoting the idea to their fans and taking part in various celebrations.

"Moving between two Black musical and cultural meccas, Abdullah saw an opportunity "to force conversations between the diaspora and people on the continent" through Afrochella"

Speaking in January 2020, Minister of Tourism Barbara Oteng Gyasi said the initiative had injected about $1.9bn (£1.5bn) into the economy, with data from January to September 2019 indicating a 45% increase in visitors compared to the same period in 2018. Furthermore, December 2019's Afrochella alone generated 700 jobs for locals and diasporans. Figures on international tourist arrivals suggest this increase takes place against the backdrop of broadly rising interest in Ghana as a holiday hotspot in years preceding 2019; December consistently proves to be the nation's busiest month.

Thus, the trend in increased interest extends beyond 2019, as we can see through the nation's prior politics and cultural showcases. Kwame Nkrumah was the first African-born Prime Minister of Ghana, serving from 6 March 1957 to 1 July 1960 and leading as President from 1 July 1960 to 24 February 1966. As a prominent Pan-African organiser and liberationist, Nkrumah's politics inspired work across the diaspora, namely Martin Luther King, who cited him as an inspiration behind his work during the Civil Rights Movement. Nkrumah sought to frame Africa's liberation around the concept of Africans all over the world coming back to Africa, and we see this vision manifest in events like Afrochella, which launched in 2017 - two years prior to the official "Year of Return" programme.

The festival was founded by Abdul Karim Abdullah, a Ghanaian-American who spent time travelling between Accra, Ghana and (the Bronx) New York, US, during his formative years. Moving between two Black musical and cultural meccas, Abdullah saw an opportunity "to force conversations between the diaspora and people on the continent" through Afrochella. The first show in 2017 was held at the Accra Polo Grounds, the same venue where Ghana's first former President Kwame Nkrumah said to a crowd of optimistic Ghanaians the liberating words, "Ghana, your beloved country, is free forever."

This year's festival serves the theme "Made in Africa", paying homage to the proliferation of African music, art, fashion, food and cultures into the mainstream. Such is marked by the inclusion of Amapiano acts, like South African woman DJ Uncle Waffles, indicating an expansion of African appreciation on the continent and in the diaspora. Speaking on 2021's theme, Abdullah commented, "Through this theme, we hope to continue to increase awareness of up-and-coming creatives and promote the advancement of Africa's homegrown talent."

AMAKA connected with young Africans from the continent and abroad to understand their thoughts on events like Afrochella, along with the concept of "Detty December" and the "Year of Return" initiative.

"It's nice to see African countries like Ghana become a legitimate holiday destination, rather than merely a site for voluntourism and visiting family members"

Ibi Kontein is a Gen Z Nigerian living in Nigeria and currently in Ghana for this year's Afrochella. She explained to us that she's a big fan of live events and decided to visit Ghana this year in response to the hype she'd heard about the experience, "Afrochella is the African festival everyone is talking about, and I'll love to enjoy good live music and experience Black culture."

We also spoke to Hannah Uguru, a Nigerian-British zillennial (on the cusp of the millennial and Gen Z sub-groups). She shared, "The year of return initiative has definitely brought a new focus to West Africa as a holiday destination, not only for those going back home but among Black people from other countries, like Jamaica and the US. It's nice to see African countries like Ghana become a legitimate holiday destination, rather than merely a site for voluntourism and visiting family members. I would like to see the initiative spread across the continent, including Nigeria, which many find hard to visit if they don't have direct familial ties there."

For most of the people who live in Ghana and their counterparts from the diaspora, there is a common bond that is underscored through cultural exchange. Historically, music has served as a means to tie together Black liberation efforts worldwide, as well as showcase Black creativity and ingenuity. Afrochella places these facets onto a global stage to be accessed by thousands. Diasporans returning to Africa presents diverse opportunities - for members of the diaspora, it's a chance to reconnect with their roots; non-Ghanaians on the continent are able to explore aspects of Africa outside their own national bubble; and local Ghanaians get to take part in an international showcase of their talent, culture and history.