David Ashbel calls Black Star Festival a defining moment for Ghana
Music executive and creative industry strategist David Ashbel has called the recent Black Star Festival held at the Washington, D.C. metro area “a defining moment for Ghana’s creative future.” In an interview with TheAfricanDream.co, he highlighted creativity as the country’s emerging economic driver.
“The Black Star Festival reminded us that creativity isn’t just art, it’s infrastructure. It’s how we tell our story, attract investment, and inspire the next generation,” Ashbel told TheAfricanDream.co. “If we want to build a stronger Ghana, we must start funding creativity with the same seriousness we fund every other industry.”
Ashbel who works with River Oaks Records, Indie Ghana (Indie House), and projects such as The 7 Initiative, use these platforms to connect artistry with opportunities, empower youth through innovation, and link music to national identity. His involvement in the festival strengthened his goal of establishing Ghana as a center for Africa’s creative sector, he shared with TheAfricanDream.co.
The GD Visionary Group organized the festival in partnership with Ghana’s National Commission on Culture (NCC), the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts, the Diaspora Affairs Office of the President of Ghana, and the Black Star Directorate.
Organizers worked to “deliver its intended impact as a flagship platform for Ghanaian heritage, cultural diplomacy and Pan-African solidarity,” according to an announcement from the festival. The gathering united artists, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and innovators to examine how creativity can drive national development and cultural relations.
Attendees experienced a virtual tour of Ghana’s historic slave dungeons, theater plays drawn from the Gold Coast era, art exhibitions, cultural performances, music, fashion, film, and business networking sessions.
The event drew inspiration from Ghana’s historical name, “The Gold Coast.” It showcased Ghanaian talents including Ibrahim Mahama, Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, Betty Acquah, Samuel Lovi, and Serge Attukwei Clottey.
Mr. Wakefield Ackuoku, Executive Director of the NCC, stated that the festival aligns with the government’s Black Star Experience (BSE) initiative. This program promotes Ghana’s global image and economy through culture, arts, and tourism.
Ackuoku noted that BSE extends earlier efforts like the Year of Return and Beyond the Return. “The Black Star Experience is built on a foundation of cultural diplomacy and shared identity. The Black Star Experience didn’t come from a vacuum. It is built on the foundation laid by previous programs, as government initiatives are a continuum,” he said in a pre-event report.
With the October festival concluded, Ashbel continues to promote partnerships among creatives, investors, and policymakers. He seeks to make Ghana’s creative strengths a key part of its economic growth.
Source: TheAfricanDream.co
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