Boggy Wednesday (Ghanaian singer and songwriter)

During another trip to Cape Coast a few weekends back, I went to visit my longest running Ghanaian friend, Ekow Simpson and during the visit he introduced me to some of his friend at their house.  Among Ekow’s friends was one man who goes by the name of “Boggy Wednesday”.  Ekow had previously let me hear his music but it wasn’t until later that day I realised that the singer was in fact in the same room as us lol. So I had the privilege to chill out with him and his friends. (Not that I heard much due to the place being all males, who can talkkkkkk) lol. But all the same, it was nice to put a face to the voice. He was very humble and down to earth. So for those who haven’t heard of Boggy Wednesday then let me introduce him to you.

About Boggy Wednesday:

Robert Kweku Bamfo popularly know by his stage name “BOGGY WEDNESDAY” was born in Accra, Ghana and grew up in Elmina in the central region. Boggy attended Montessori school in junior high and Ghana National College in senior high. He later went on to continue in NIIT as a networking engineer.

Boggy believes in creativity, originality, lyrical, and longevity in his music. He was awarded song of the year in 2013 and best vocalist of the year in 2014 in the central region. Boggy is an excellent definition of Afro beat, Afro pop, Highlife of this era. H­e has perfected singing with live bands. His style of piecing his music together makes it difficult to place him in ­any particular genre because each track ­gives you a sample of different flavours­. He has mastered his own identity as a musician.

Where he started:

Boggy’s dad use to play the key board so he use to listen to the rhythms and then go on to write his own music when he was in junior high. His parents didn’t like the idea of him going into music so he put his dream on hold and began to concentrate on being a networking engineer. After he completed 3 years in NIIT as a network engineer he went right back to focus on his dreams of becoming a musician.  Boggy’s first day in the studio was when he wrote his song called “dying for” ft TeePhlow produced by Kopow, Boggy’s childhood friend. This song is what earned him song of the year in 2013 (see photos below) in the central region. He felt he needed to step up his game so people would appreciate and recognize his music more. So he then came back with a second song called “SOMEBODY”. This song also won him the best vocalist in 2014.

2013 Best Song of the year award.

2014 Best Vocalist award.

Boggy is still working hard on his music career and his next goal is to achieve a Ghana music award. He will be bringing new songs to the table around April 13th so look out for that 🙂

Below you will find the links to a few of his YouTube videos. My personal favorite is “Queen of my heart”. A day can’t pass without me playing this song. Very soothing voice and beautiful lyrics 🙂 Great work Boggy and I pray you get all the success you deserve! It was a pleasure to meet you.

Please also find Boggy’s Facebook fan page below & Twitter. Don’t forget to hit the like button! Enjoy!

FACEBOOK – Boggy Wednesday Gh

(Search by name above or follow the link below)

https://www.facebook.com/Boggy-Wednesday-Gh-777979882226077/

TWITTER – @nanaboggy

 

Cape Coast, Ghana

Evening all 🙂

I am a little late in posting (as always) but I have now started my 4th trip in Ghana. I landed 2 weeks ago and Still currently here doing my work so bare with me 🙂 I have so much to tell in such a short time so I will get round to posting my experiences from my trip so far. I have managed to return to the orphanage in Kumasi as planned and will post about this next.  For now, just a quick post following my return to Cape Coast over the weekend. It had been 3 years since I last visited Cape Coast so I had to plan a trip 🙂

So I managed to fit in some time and spend my weekend in cape. I travelled from Kumasi with my sister in Ghana, Akosua. We met up with my longest and dearest friend in Ghana, Ekow 🙂 Ekow was the first Ghanaian I met 7 years ago and it’s been around 3 years since I last saw him. We fight and make up like brother and sister lol He has seen me grow from a stubborn little teenager into a matured woman lol. So I was very happy to see him and spend my weekend with him. Cape Coast is my favourite place in the whole of Ghana and it always has been. So I wanted to make the most of my trip. Our great friend Kofi also came along from Accra. We had a wonderful time and chilled at the beach and enjoyed great food 🙂 I would highly recommend Cape Coast to anyone who has yet to visit. It is one of the most beautiful places in Ghana and so full of culture and history. Even the place alone looks so historical lol There is a lovely beach restaurant next to the castle I would recommend. Great music and good food. Well, I am now back in Kumasi and packing for another trip tomorrow into Accra so I will keep everyone updated during my travels and I will try and have my post up this weekend from the trip to the orphanage last week. For now, enjoy the photos below of Cape Coast 🙂

Cape Coast Castle – Ghana

About the Castle: Cape Coast Castle is one of Ghana’s Slave Castle which was built on the Gold Coast by Swedes for trade of Timber and Gold with a church also built within the castle. The Castle was then later used for the slave trade. For those who don’t know how slave castles were used, they were used for keeping African Slaves locked away after they were captured and held there until sold to the Americans. Some slaves were held there until death if they were not sold. The castle also had a Cell for the Slaves who fought or tried to escape.The female and male slaves were divided into separate dungeons as you will see from my pictures below. Each dungeon was dark, cold and with no lights, toilets or bed to sleep on. They had to sleep and go to the bathroom in the same area so you could imagine the torture they gone through. Slavery was and is one of the many horrible acts of cruelty by human beings. I started learning and reading about slavery from a very young age but when you enter one of the slave castles everything you read about or learned about then feels more real when you see where these poor souls were held and even died. The castle definitely had a cold hunted feel and as you are walking around and feeling and seeing how dark and cold the dungeons are you start to feel more emotional and realise just how horrific it really would have been for these innocent people. People say slavery is a thing of the past and should be left there, but for me, i like to educated people or tell people the stories of slavery and let it never be forgotten because although slavery was abolished i feel the innocent souls who died and were enslaved should never be forgotten and we should remember how lucky we were and still are…to not have faced the same thing they did.

On my third day in Ghana i reached Cape Coast and of course it was a must to visit Cape Coast Castle not only because i am a huge fan of history but also because it is a beautiful castle despite the deep dark history that lies here.

I took a bus that dropped me off some minuets away from the castle so my sister and i walked to the castle and saw some lovely sights along the way. Below is a picture of the beautiful church just outside of the castle.

We also met some lovely people outside of the castle including a girl carrying water on her head who was interested to know what brought us to Ghana. She also insisted that my sister carried her bucket on her head which was quiet funny to see my sister carrying something with her head haha

The Front of the Castle

As we entered the castle there is a shop/market area where you can buy souvineers and different types of things including clothing. I Bought a beautiful Kente dress from one of the shops. We then reached the counter where you will pay for your ticket and also pay to take your camera in with you. 1 camera per group or person if you are alone.

We were then joined with a group of other tourists and guided around the castle with a tour guide who tells everyone the story of the castle and what happened in each room of the castle etc. I took some videos while in the castle while the tour guide was telling the stories of the castle. I will upload them to my blog later for people to see.

The picture above of cannon balls is what were used when intruders tried to intrude the castle or take over the gold coast. The cannon balls were shot at their ships to bring them down and stop them from entering.

As i mentioned before, the Cells were used to keep what they called “stubborn Slaves”. Slaves who fought to free themselves or to free their wife’s/children. They were locked inside this cell as punishment as if they were not being punished enough! the cell was extremely small and dark.

My sister and I inside the castle

The Female Slave Dungeon – The dent in the middle of the ground was their “toilet” – in the same area they would sleep. All human wastage would flow down this area out into the Ocean. Leaving the innocent souls to either die through sickness, Disease or malnutrition if they were not shipped out and sold before then. The lights in the dungeon was only later installed when slavery was abolished – For tourism.

View from the top floor of the castle.

The Door of no return – The door that led the slaves to the ships where they were then transported to the Americans.

The Door of Return

The Door of no return was of course because they would never return to Africa, but later the other side of the door was named “The door of return” apparently it was for those lucky enough to return – I’m not 100% sure if this is correct i am just speaking based on the information given by the tour guide.

As you can see, Cape Coast Castle is just one of many slave castles and is a huge tourist attraction in Ghana. I definitely recommend that everyone who visits Ghana should stop by Cape Coast and visit on of Africa’s many slave castles. You will leave feeling emotionally attached to Africa if you are not already. Don’t forget to show your respect when visiting and take a moment to remember the lost innocent souls not only of Ghana but of all those who died and suffered during the slave trade!

Kakum National Park – Cape Coast, Ghana

On my travels around Ghana, i eventually reached Kakum National Park in Cape Coast. Kakum National Park is the only park in Africa with canopy walk. I have to say it was a little scary and very high but such a great experience. I think my sister was more scared than anyone there as she was holding on for her life haha..

The Entrance at Kakum national park

 I really recommend this place to anyone who is visiting Ghana, it is a Must see! the only downfall of it was the prices! Non- Ghanaians are charged almost double to enter. We kind of expected to see a few animals but we did not see any animals at all. It was more like a trek, but still very much worth experiencing 🙂 The walk up to the canopy bridges was so so steep and really tires you out lol It takes around 15/20 minuets to get to the top where the canopy walk is. The walk back down was a lot easier! haha

The start of the walk up to the Canopy bridges.

When you get to the top, you are then told to cross individually or in groups of 2. You are also told not to shake the bridges or scare anyone lol of course i then made the bridge shake a little just to scare my sister haha. as if she wasnt scared enough :p The bridges connect to 7 tree tops. At the end of each bridge there is ledges for you to stand on to get from one bridge to the other, this was the part i found scary! as the ledges felt like the were moving away from the tree haha.

The stop point where the guide explains what we should expect when we get to the top.

We were told to watch out for snakes hanging from the trees, which of course made me a little more nervous!! lol But luckily we didnt come across any snakes, the only thing we came across was a mosquito that bit my sister on the hand and she freaked out! hahaha.

One of the bridges

The Start of the bridges

My sister holding on for her life at the start of the walk! haha

On the way back down to the bottom

When you reach the end of the bridges the guide will then lead us back down to the bottom. It is more relaxing going back down and there is also some stop points where you can have a seat. There is also a bar at the bottom where you can get something to drink and take a look around. There is many lizards walking around which we found very amusing lol i tried touching one but it just ran away from me 😦 lol

Me outside the bar/payment area, wearing my Kente dress i purchased from Cape Coast Castle Gift shop 🙂

If you are ever in Ghana or plan to go to Ghana, please check this place out and enjoy! 🙂 thanks for reading !

Life in the village (Achiase, Ghana)

This post may seem a bit random but after returning from Africa it got me thinking about where exactly i want to settle in Africa. Not “which Country” but which type of place in that country. In the City or in the Village?

I have always and will always be a fan of villages and always wanted to experience life in one, But after returning from Ghana i think i am now 100% sure i want to settle in a village. I experienced life in many different parts of Ghana like Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, koforidua Akim Oda etc and got a feel of how different life is in each part. Yes there is a lot of similar things in all of the regions, like Hawkers or types of food etc BUT standers of living is defiantly a little different in each region.

For Example, In Accra, it is more what i would call “modern” which is more for people who like the modern way of life, i am not saying there is anything wrong with that but for me, it doesn’t suit me well. Now, as for places like Kumasi, It is also kind of “modern” but VERY busy and a lot of things going on so it sometimes seemed way to crowded and busy for me. some may love it like that but i’m not so much a “city” girl.

Now, on the other hand, When i arrived in the village “Achiase” i felt perfectly at home. I grew to learn more about my self in Ghana than i expected. I learned that even though life in the village isn’t as easy going as the city life, I still preferred it to the cities of Ghana. I knew when i got to the village that it was exactly what i had been waiting to experience. Nice peaceful lovely villages. The power in Achiase village was not always on and the water does not run so its “bucket baths” and no power on most days hehe which was all part of the experience and i would happily trade my life in the UK to go back and live like i did in the village.

Taking a stroll in the village

Cute Ducklings walking around in the village with their mum 🙂

Lovely Friendly people letting us shelter inside their shop until the rain stopped 🙂

The Market in Achiase Village 

My sister and i in the village with the kids who lived opposite us.

Something i also enjoyed in the village was how fast the locals get to know you and become almost like your friends. With in just a few days of visiting the village markets and shops, the locals already remembered who i was. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming in Ghana and if you are looking for a nice peaceful place to go, then the villages are perfect. I also felt extremely safe and comfortable walking around the village by my self. It is so lovely taking strolls along the village without all the rummage of the city around. I also loved at night in the village just looking up at the stars in the sky, which by the way, look so beautiful and clear in Africa WOW! it was amazing to see. Including the fire flies at night too!

I am planning to Return to Ghana this year and will be out their for one year and i am very much looking forward to getting back to the villages. My advice to people who judge villages based on the lack of resources is, Try it before you knock it! Villages are not what people judge them to be, They are lovely peaceful friendly places to be and don’t forget, you are not in a box with nothing surrounding you. You can always take a drive into town if you need something that you cant already get in your village. Or you can always find work out side your village if it is work you are worried about.

I cannot wait to get back to Africa and experience life in the village for longer this time.

Thanks for reading and thanks SOOO much for all the views and lovely comments so far. i’M really overwhelmed ! 🙂

Returning from Ghana

So as most people know, I was on a trip to Ghana and just returned. A Lot of people have been asking me when i will post my experiences on my blog so ill start off with a small post to let everyone know how my trip was.

First of all i have to say, I MISS GHANA!!! As soon as i got home i felt like crying. Going to Africa was really as great as i expected it to be. Ghana is a beautiful country full of wonderful people. The moment my foot stepped off the plane into Ghana i could smell the heat and air of Africa!! it was the best feeling ive ever felt in my life! I landed and it was lightly raining which made it even better for me because i love the smell of the rain.. 

I traveled to many different parts of Ghana, i will gradually post individual post about each place i visited. So for the mean time i would just like to let everyone know that i have the best time of my life and i STRONGLY suggest people to go to Ghana and experience life there. 

I am planning my return to Ghana this year to do volunteer work as i have always wanted to do that but now i am even more sure about it after visiting villages and areas where volunteer workers are. I can see how happy they are there and i also feel i am going to love working in Ghana and helping the best way i can.

Below are some pictures from my trip. I have loads and loads of pictures. you can see all of them on facebook by adding me from the “follow me” page. I will also be adding some of the pics here as time goes on.

Black star of independence. Opposite of the Independence Square, Accra

Ghanaian dancers and drummers at cape coast

Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, Accra

Ghana’s Independence Square

Cape Coast Castle

 

Akim Achiase Village

Kumasi Central Mosque

 

Kokrobite, Leading onto the beach