Author: Dagny Zenovia

  • Africans Love Country Music

    Africans Love Country Music

    The art exhibit featured in the above image is from Samuel Olayombo‘s exhibit “Unchained: The Cotton Candy Cowboys” in Accra. Everybody was taking photos here. The texture and expressions in his art are fabulous!

    Now, let’s talk about country music and Africans.

    Did you know Africans love country music? When I moved to Accra, I started noticing Country Music being played on the local radio plus in restaurants and some homes. I found this really fascinating. Sometimes asking in my head, “what do you know about country music?”

    Oh. Silly me. Let me share a disclaimer with you. I have lived most of my life in Texas. Purro 956! H-town Going Down! Remember The Alamo! Don’t Mess With Texas! Howdy, that’s what I am familiar with. Thus, country music, in English and Spanish, has been around me for a while. Now, for those unfamiliar with Texas, let me share this: No, I do not drive a pick-up truck, live on a ranch, or have a country music playlist on my laptop. Yes, I own a pair of cowgirl boots, attended a few rodeos, and performed in a Charro Days dance celebration. There is a spectrum when it comes to the Texas experience. We do not all exist like the country music videos.

    Ok, back to our main discussion.

    Fast forward to a few months ago, I find myself teaching a country line dance at a kizomba dance social. Everyone enjoyed it and we might do more.

    Then, like how all synchronicities work, I come across this Twitter thread on my feed. This documents the history of country music’s influence in Africa, ranging back to the 1970s. Turns out, this love for country music spans all of sub-Saharan Africa, inspiring African artists to produce similar music, country-themed parties, and unique African covers of classic country music songs. Isn’t that cool? Make sure to check out the thread below for more elaborate details.

    https://twitter.com/RisenChow/status/1542564697353895941

    The more you know. Right?

    Now, my next question is, could we host a rodeo in Ghana? Or another African country? What could that look like? Would people attend? Is there a demand for such an experience?

    What do you think? Please share with me in the comments. If you are in Ghana ( or would come for this), would you be interested in an Afro-Rodeo? If you are familiar with rodeos (or are from the South in the USA), what experience or activity would you suggest is important to introduce the rodeo to beginners?

    I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

    Take care and be safe.

  • Can I Erase My Triggers

    Can I Erase My Triggers

    I know I’m not the only one who takes the time to try to understand and heal my triggers and find myself triggering myself and others. In this video, I share my experience developing my sense of balance with my triggers and the projections of others.

  • Own The Hiccups

    Own The Hiccups

    Shoutout to the paparazzi for catching these angles. Shoutout to Miss Happy Anonymous for catching the frame. Shoutout to my makeup for staying put in this heat.

    The bracelets are from Bandele Muse. My afrofuturistic boutique.

    Now, time for a story that has nothing to do with these photos. Shall we?

    My business website bandelemuse.com was flagged as dangerous by Norton Security. In big red letters. Like total Scarlet Letter vibes. I spent a week or so researching what to fix or edit on my site…but found no solutions.

    Finally, I felt called to click on the Norton report. Found the button to submit a dispute. I thanked them for the report, noted this was my business, and asked why it was in the phishing category + what I need to fix this. The form states it takes 2 days for a response.

    In one hour I received an email from Norton stating they reevaluated my site and changed the status to safe.

    Thus, my lesson in this….

    When confronted with a hiccup, your first response does not always have to be “I will do it myself. I need to fix me.” It is possible that you are already safe and correct. A simple request (coming from a place of trust) could lead to the solution / guidance/ support you need.

    You’re welcome.

  • I Moderated An Ama Ata Aidoo Legacy Celebration + My Thoughts On Progress

    I Moderated An Ama Ata Aidoo Legacy Celebration + My Thoughts On Progress

    Let’s discuss! I had the privilege of moderating the Intergenerational Celebration of the Legacy of Ama Ata Aidoo. This event was in Accra and featured a panel of women who shared their reflections and experiences. The event was organized by the Writers Project of Ghana and the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.

    Ama Ata Aidoo is a profound Ghanaian literary icon. She is an author, playwright, poet, and educator. Her works span topics including African feminism, human equality, and gender roles. She is still very much alive and this celebration illustrated how her legacy is also very much alive.

    In this video, I share my experience with the event and my thoughts on the concept of progress within the topics that were discussed.

    As I shared in the video, the panel dropped so many gems of knowledge and insight. What are your thoughts on the bigger picture of who deserves respect? Share with me so we can continue the conversation.

  • Why I Now Embrace My Seasons Of Life

    Why I Now Embrace My Seasons Of Life

    Can we take a moment to discuss time and productivity? This idea that the year is divided into 4 quarters and that we should be functioning at top productivity in all 4 quarters feels disconnected. A machine in this era can function this way. But, is that sustainable for all who are not machines?

    Alternatively, what if we chose to experience time (and life) through seasons? There are 4 seasons in a year, which carry a spectrum of characteristics depending on which part of the world you live in. Similar to nature, certain things blossom and die during certain seasons. Could we humans do the same?

    In this video, I share with you my experience in recognizing my life seasons and how to live more intentionally with them. I also share some questions to reflect on for you to adapt to your own unique seasons.

  • Everything Makes Sense

    Everything Makes Sense

    With Accra ranking higher as one of the most expensive cities, everything makes sense.

    That is why in Accra the dirt roads are made of gold dust, when it rains the city floods with diamonds, the monopolist who provides electricity keeps the price on, but the power off, and the boys on the street who get so easily agitated when I don’t pay them after they spray dirty water on my windshield pretending to clean it… actually live in mansions.

    Everything makes sense. For a better life, some people in Accra take a private jet to visit colonizers to beg for “investments.” Some take economy class to visit colonizers to return with “expat salary status.” Others drown in Lampedusa to visit colonizers to work for “aid.”

    Come to find out, there are more nuances than meets the eye. In the same Accra, there is a new bowling alley/fun center. Cranes are in the sky & new buildings are coming up. Detty December propaganda has already begun.

    Can all of this happen in the same city? Will the movement outrun the chaos? Does the progress minimize the discrepancies? Find out next time on….kidding. This could be an entertaining show, right?

    But, what do I know? I’m just a woman thinking out loud. A dangerous combination. So, let me stay in my lane, be cute, and post a photo looking cute. That is why we are here, yes? To continue the fantasy projected on the hologram of me. Because what else can we do with this knowledge?

    P.S. I also wonder how interconnected we can be when multiple realities exist in this world. This past week, Ghana is grieving destructive floods, that happen at the same time every year in the same locations. This past week, Texas is grieving a mass shooting in a classroom, in a country where shootings spike every year in the same season. It is what it is. But it still does not need to be this way.