The maiden edition of Royal Experience, a grassroots Renaissance hub, has been held at Akosombo in the Eastern region of Ghana.
The aim of the event was to bridge the gap between Ghana and Jamaica and bring diasporans together. It also brought together international artistes as well as local artistes, bands, and people from all walks of life.
In an interview, the Chief Executive Officer of Roc Factory, Donnaray Roc, mentioned that the event was birthed by fusing tourism with Ghanaian culture to the diaspora.
“It’s all about tourism, experiences, and, of course, networking, connections, primarily targeted to the diaspora, and of course fusing it with some of the Ghanaian culture and of course the Ghanaian network. What we’re looking to do is do quarterly experiences, and this is one of them. This is our maiden edition, and it’s called the Royal Experience. Yeah, so of course, we have regular music—it’s like ‘Reggae on the River’, ‘Reggae on the Bridge’, with Afrobeat of course, and a few Foundation music, reggae music, lovers rock, and it’s a nice evening here at Akosombo.
Well, I mean, so those two international artistes—one is from Hollywood, of course, and the other one is from Jamaica. It’s two different universe but of course, they both travel to international countries, and this is their first time in Ghana, and we want to actually provide them with an experience to go back and say, “Oh, Ghana was nice. This is what Ghana had to offer.”
The Culture Ambassador and artistic director further stated that the event sought to let people have a nice time and enjoy the ambiance.
“Primarily, I want people to feel the vibe. So initially, it’s all about the vibe, the Caribbean vibe, the African Caribbean vibe, the energy, the spirit, the rhythm, the bass outside, and the breeze. That is what we want to accomplish, enjoyment, excitement, and, of course, people having a nice time with good food and a beautiful ambiance.”
She likened Ghana to Jamaica, adding that there are more beautiful places than just Accra in the West African nation.
“Tourism is a big thing that we want to engage with the diaspora to come to Ghana, but to explore not only Accra but also all the beautiful regions, such as the Eastern Region. Eastern Region is one of the most beautiful regions here in Ghana. It reminds me of Jamaica. It reminds me of the Caribbean. It has a beautiful lake and this beautiful fresh breeze. So we want to show people that Ghana has more than just Accra and beautiful places that we want to promote to the diaspora.”
Donnaray Roc wooed diasporans to visit Ghana and explore more about Ghanaian culture.
“Enjoy, embark, fulfill, and do not stay away too long. Come back and explore more, explore more about Ghana, and explore more about culture.”
