I have some exciting news to share – my first event is finally happening! It’s been months of planning, dreaming, and collaborating with my lovely community. I am thrilled to invite you to join me for a day that’s all about connection, inspiration, and celebrating the journey we are on together. Whether you have been with me from the beginning or you are just discovering my brand, we are ready to make memories and take this next step together.
Make sure you are ready and here in Accra on March 22nd. It’s going to be fabulous. Get your tickets now here.
Ok. Let’s get into the details.
I am co-organizing the Burgundy experience with Adrenaline 360. You already know how much I love culture, art, fashion, music, and time travel. So it only makes sense to create an experience that showcases these things.
Step into an unforgettable evening of luxury, style, and culture at Burgundy, an exclusive event that blends sophistication with the vibrant energy of Afro-Latin influences. Designed for a discerning audience who appreciates the finest in life, this celebration is set against an island-inspired, tropical backdrop.
The evening will begin with decadent canapes, curated by a renowned guest chef, offering a fusion of exquisite Afro-Latin and island-inspired flavors. Pair your meal with handcrafted cocktails and savor the essence of a tropical escape, as you enjoy fragrance sampling that transports you through the sensory world of exotic aromas.
As the evening progresses, immerse yourself in the world of high fashion and glamour with an exclusive Afrofuturism live mannequin fashion installation, followed by live performances that bring Afro-Latin rhythms to life. From captivating DJ sets to mesmerizing dance acts, the performances promise to set the stage for a night of excitement.
Art and fashion lovers will enjoy a curated auction featuring stunning artwork and one-of-a-kind fashion pieces. As the night unfolds, the atmosphere evolves into a high-energy after-party with tropical beats, allowing guests to dance the night away in true afofuturistic island style.
Burgundy is not just an event—it’s an experience. From the finest food and drink to the electrifying performances, every detail is crafted to indulge your senses and create memories of a truly elegant and vibrant affair.
Preparing for this event has been a fun adventure. A lot of collaboration and learning. Of course, I will be sharing with you exclusive behind-the-scenes in my newsletter as we countdown to the event. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter for more details.
This has also continued to be a beautiful experience for me. As the ideas and planning have transformed from notes on a phone to a reality in progress, it has encouraged me to explore more possibilities for myself and Bandele Muse. I find it interesting how brands and businesses continue to grow and evolve in ways you might not have expected when you started. But the mystery makes more sense when you keep going and keep trusting.
Ok. That’s all the details for now.
Burgundy is an experience. This is the debut event. We have more to host and create next for you to enjoy with Burgundy.
What do you think of the concept? Share with me.
There are also opportunities to sponsor. Please contact me if you want to contribute or get involved.
And, do you know someone who you think would love this? Go ahead and share this post with them.
Let’s have a different type of Detty December, shall we? I took the time to connect and search to create a schedule of events and programs that resonated with me. From panel discussions, cultural showcases, and community initiatives, I feel the time was worthwhile. As a disclaimer, some of the events were free, some I was invited to with a free ticket, and some I purchased a ticket. Compared to the last time I indulged in Ghana’s December season (in 2019), I am encouraged to see more variety in programs, events, initiatives, and people. This is something a lot of people were commenting on back in 2019 and I’m glad to see more people show up to make that happen.
Now let’s elaborate on the recap
The MoneyHub Business Summit
First, the MoneyHub Business Summit. The event was very well organized. You know how some events can be a lot of talk with no substance. This was the complete opposite. The speakers shared relatable insight and the community was like-minded in networking priorities.
Disclaimer: I was invited with a free ticket.
Here are some gems I picked up from the speakers:
Always keep learning.
For business in Ghana, focus more on private individuals for building and investments, instead of the government.
Build it first. Take your time to grow. The team and collaborations come later. You don’t need an office or aesthetics to be successful.
With your service, product, network, or mentorship: focus on how you contribute to save time and provide a good time to others.
Be vulnerable. Teach someone. Allow someone to teach you.
Journey to Womb Wealth and Wellness
Next, Journey to Womb Wealth and Wellness with Travel Deeper Inc. This session was focused on fibroids. We had insightful and impactful conversations, empowering testimonies, breath work, affirmations, and a delicious meal.
Disclaimer: I purchased my ticket.
Did you know there is advocacy happening here to raise more awareness and resources for fibroids and grow past stigma? Whether its medically, holistically, traditionally, or all the above, people are taking their power back and sharing the knowledge.
I feel really encouraged events and communitites like this are developing and taking more space here. It’s needed.
The Ladies First Hip Hop Brunch with Crescendo Foods was cool. Three lady chefs prepared a 6 course meal inspired by lady hip hop artists. We also got to jam to a lady hip hop playlist. This was a unique experience.
Wood x Watta: Afro-Caribbean Business Brunch & Art Show
This event featured multiple panel discussions, art exhibit, and networking
The main gem I picked up: We now are more knowledgeable of the data and evidence for what we are capable of, what our value is, and the limitless possibilities. We are removing the middle men and obstacles. We are doing all of this slow and steady. I really appreciated the initiative and mindset.
For example, during one of the conversations focused on real estate, I noted how the main customer base developers are relying on are Ghanaians living in the Diaspora. This developer and their team made an intentional effort to create a database for this to understand who to target their marketing and who to build for. I found this interesting because since 2019, most of the rhetoric for selling to and marketing to Diasporans have been for people who are not from Ghana. As in, making the claim that all the rising in buildings, events, and prices are due to African Americans, Caribbeans, or others coming to Ghana. On the ground, I have noted this is not the case when it comes to who is living in these new apartment buildings…even when some of them remain empty for some time. So, it was refreshing to hear developers here be honest about what the market actually is.
Additionally, it was at this event they announced the launch of the Ghanaian Jamaican Chamber of Commerce. Proving there is more being done to bridge the gap in business, culture, travel, etc between these two countries.
This woman-owned business started as a natural hair care line. With this relaunch they are expanding as a lifestyle brand with a new tea product. This event was a combination of a product launch and photography exhibit. The theme focused on self-care in a woman’s sanctuary.
These are some of the gems I picked up:
Celebrate and respect wellness practices, giving credit to the originals who invented them.
Self-care looks different for everyone. In this collaboration, the photos showcase women in their sanctuary. Community activities, like weaving together, cooking together, or dancing together, are considered self-care. or a labor of love. It is very different from meditating alone on a mountain in Narnia.
Give yourself permission to expand in every direction your heart desires. It all connects.
This was one of the most enjoyable experiences for me. It was a spectacular production. I really appreciate the initiative and intention. It was a wholesome event for all ages.
Ok, the plot. The gods request for Kwame Nkrumah to come back to life to save Africa. We see all the freedom fighters in the underworld strategize for this and one by one convince Kwame Nkrumah to accept the request and go. He comes back to life and establishes the United States of Africa. But can a leader who is selfless truly succeed?
Now, this next part does include spoilers for the play. If you don’t want to know what happens in the story yet, skip this next part, please.
Cool, right? The play had history, culture, and comedy. It also planted intentional seeds. I loved how they connected generations and interacted with the audience throughout the play. Kwame Nkrumah had an assistant, who was supposed to also be his bodyguard, who provided most of the comic relief and connected with the audience. He primarily spoke pidgin and would ask Kwame Nkrumah the questions others would feel too embarrased to ask. I thought this was very important because it shows the future and support for Ghana and it’s people is not only restricted to those who speak “big big” english.
They also had a great scene where these two characters were debating which generation had better music. So, they decided to have a competition and the audience must vote. Kwame Nkrumah sang with the band, including songs by Bob Marley and Osibisa. His assistant sang with the band, including afrobeat songs that are being played on the radio now. The audience sang along to all of it, but, of course, voted for the assistant.
Through out the story, we see Kwame Nkrumah surprised or disappointed by what he sees is happening in Ghana today. Once he established the United States of Africa, he hosts a dinner celebration and chooses to invite the Queen of England and a representative from the US. Of course, at this dinner, there is an assassination attempt and his assistant is killed. This causes Kwame Nkrumah to return to the underworld. We see him talking with the other freedom fighters. He is very upset and saddened. Noting that again, he tried to help Africa, and again they tried to kill him. Each of the freedom fighters remind him of why he is the only person out of all of them who can make the difference Africa needs. It is a really powerful and important scene as they each share the history they each contributed to.
In addition to the play, the venue was transformed with exhibits and replicas of African landmarks to take photos with. There were also camels.
For me, this was the highlight of my entire December in Ghana experience. Every detail of this production was intentional, organized, and impactful. I really loved the message. If they end up touring or coming back to Ghana, please make a point to see this and support. It is well worth it. I would see it again.
I, Dagny, DJ
Yes, it is true. I DJ. Actually, I started DJing a while ago, but this is the first time playing publicly and consistently. I share more on that story in the video below. At the moment, I am focusing on Kizomba music. I kind of see this music as another illustration of Pan-Africanism. Music from different parts of the continent and Diaspora.
I’m grateful to the social dance community in Accra who have been open to me playing at their social parties. They have been very encouraging with tips, opportunites, and equipment. It has also been fun creating my signature DJ style and introducing them to new songs, plus witness what people enjoy to dance to.
Just to think, 2 years ago (in 2021) I was introduced to Kizomba dancing in Accra by a stranger. Then, 1 year and a half later (in 2023) I’m traveling to Benin with the Kizomba community to my first dance festival. This year (in 2024), I am DJing at Kizomba parties and my name is on flyers. I’m encouraged to see how this experience continues to blossom.
If you would like to hear some of my mixes, I upload them on mixcloud. I’m also experimenting with posting videos of me practicing with different genres on Instagram (possibly later YouTube). Next, I’m interested in exploring how to produce mashups and remixes.
My final event was a Moroccan Tea Tasting with Aguma Tea. This was my first time at a tea tasting. We learned about the benefits of different herbs and created our own tea. We also sampled different teas from Morocco. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I also loved the theme.
Overall, I enjoyed myself. Which was your favorite event? Let me know in the comments. I always love hearing from you.
When it comes to being healthy, what you choose to eat and put on your skin are just as important as anything else. Ghana has a variety of local ingredients that provide a wholesome lifestyle, including ground nut, shea butter, and African black soap. The question is, are we using all of them? I attended VegFest Ghana at the W. E. B. Du Bois Center in Accra to find out. The Vegetarian and Vegan community is growing in Ghana and it was nice to see so many healthy people in one place. In this video, I speak with some of the vendors and organizers, including Sheroes Foundation, Skin Gourmet, VegGhana, Earth Seed, and Wear Ghana, to get a sense of what this community offers and how it has evolved. Enjoy!
I really loved how much community was involved and represented at this event. Initially, I expected to stay for about an hour or so while walking around the vendors, possibly purchasing a few things, and be on my way. Instead, in addition to that, I sat down with a group of wonderful people to eat and chat.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone, or a group of people, where you did not notice time passing and you felt as if you solved all the problems of the world during that discussion? I feel that sort of experience can only happen with like-minded people. That doesn’t mean you agree with everything, but your priorities match. I had a lovely conversation at this event. We discussed how Ghana could incorporate more healthy methods in their daily life. For example, all food vendors, from restaurants to kiosks to sellers on the street, serve their meals in plastic or Styrofoam. All of that packaging ends up on the floor, which contributes to the unacceptable trash issue. What if we could use sustainable materials to serve food? Like cassava leaf. Or bags made out of bio-degradable material. Could that work?
This inspired me to think of more ideas. I have been vegetarian for 8 years now and leaned into vegan this past year. This choice really transformed my life, or, at least, it inspired me to continue to transform and evolve. I don’t insist everyone should follow this path, but adding more greens and colors in your meal through vegetables and fruit is a good thing for everyone. In Ghanaian traditional food and original Soul Food, most of the meals are focused on a variety of meat or fish with a starch. Unless you make an effort to have greens or a salad, you can go for days without eating any vegetables or fruit. How can we make healthy choices more of a habit in our lifestyle? If I give you a recipe for vegan kebabs, you might refuse it because it sounds foreign and lacks soul. If I give you a recipe for kebabs that promise you clear skin and a bouncy booty, will you try it immediately?
Distinguishing between the trendy version of being green, which has been hijacked by a certain portion of the population and capitalism, and the historical origins that show how Black people have been eating “green” for centuries is very important. In Ghana, we really should not be importing the majority of produce and food in general. I can feel quite full after eating bambara beans, spinach stew, jollof rice, fried plantains, grilled mixed vegetables, and bofrot. All of that is traditional food and is healthy. Maybe you can try Meatless Monday, where you choose to not eat meat on Monday. Maybe you can try to include mixed vegetables in your meal. The key is to adapt a lifestyle that makes you feel happy and comfortable.
Well, make sure you check out the video above for more details about the Vegan community in Ghana.
What else would you like to know about being vegetarian or vegan? Would you like to hear more about using food, to eat and on your skin or hair, to improve your life? Let me know in the comments.
Also, I always love hearing from you. Feel free to connect with me on Instagram or Twitter.
Dagny Zenovia 