THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND THE FUTURE OF KUMERICA
What started as social media fun has turned into a phenomenon of hiphop music and business avenues; a kind of momentum with positive vibration on people’s lives. According to Nana Yaw Gyimah in a Facebook post shared by MeY3 Asanteni, Kumerican wave: The music, art and business, now, many business men have jumped on the wave printing t-shirts and broach among others with the Kumerican flag.
What started as two teenagers having fun with a funny American slang about Kumasi has now turned into full-blown cultural identity craze about the garden city. In the minds of believers of this social media craze, Kumasi is now the Ghanaian version of America, known as Kumerica.
Towns in Kumasi are now named after cities in the United States of America. Oforikrom is now Arizona, Bantama is Florida and the statue of Komfo Anokye is now likened to the Statue of Liberty in America. The Komfo Anokye statue is now likened to the Statue of Liberty in America. Manhyia where the Asante Kingdom sites is matched with Washington DC, the seat of American government.
Some teenagers, believed to be residents of Tafo, a suburb of Kumasi, broke the internet with this hilarious video portraying Kumasi in an American slang accent. The video which created laughter on social media went viral and won the hearts of many. With time many adopted it as a challenge, creating their own versions of the Kumasi-America identity.
Now, people are photoshoping passports to show their Kumerican identity on social media. ‘Saka’, an existing street language in Kumasi, is a part of the Kumerican culture which is a fusion of Twi and English rearranged in a special way. Sagging, tattered jeans, sneakers, tattoos, and others known as ‘akata’ mimick the ghetto life of Americans.
To these young musicians, most of them underground artistes, Kumerica is a movement which tells the Kumasi story in an African American culture. Black Foreigner and Armani Sosa, part of the Life Living Records are the first Kumericans. “We dress and do things like Americans, with time people started calling us America but we were not excited. We called ourselves ‘Kumasi America’, with time we corrupted it to become KUMERICA”, Sosa says.
The movement is a group of at least fifteen young men who have been brought together by music and art. They call it ‘asakaa’ their local version of the popular trap music. Gradually, their songs recorded from a make shift studio in a kitchen’s store room are catching up just like the Kumerican wave.
“We didn’t see this thing becoming this is huge but today it is bigger than us. This is for all people of Kumasi. Let’s use it to bring back music and art to Kumasi”, Kwaku DMC is leader of Life Living Records. Many, now associate themselves with the culture, now popular people of Kumasi decent are associating with it.
Young rapper YPEE is one of artistes on the trends after a song on the Kumerica theme. Dancehall sensation, Shatta Wale is the latest to release a hit on the trend. Frimpong, a musician is amazed at the impact his latest “Kumerica” release has done for his social media numbers. “My numbers on all social media platforms have gone up astronomically. The downloads are surprising. This is a game changer for some of us”, he told Luv News. Now, many business men have jumped on the wave printing T-shirts and broach among others with the Kumerican flag. At second hand clothe dealers’ section of the Kumasi Central Market, merchandise of Kumerica is the hottest commodity. The black, green and gold colors of Kumerican flag sell everything with ease.
In a day, Wofa Kay has sold 44 T-shirts and over 30 broaches. Torch-bearers of the Kumerican wave see it as a means to bring back music and art to Kumasi. But it will need the support gained so far to be maintained. Are the people here ready for this?
WHAT IS COMING OUT OF KUMERCA AND KUMERICAN?
Now as we speak, the movement of Kumerica and Kumerican has turned into something serious. There are some production firms making products like energy drink, water, souvenirs and paraphernalia, shoes, clothes, food cases, rings, jewellery, drinks, banners, bands, phone case, bottles, containers and lots of things with Kumerica and Kumerican names, logos, and inscriptions. The main idea of Kumerica movement is to promote the young guys and the youth to get some employment, jobs and work especially in music, movie, film, and acting production. So many films, movies, music industries, and YouTubers are making dramas, skits, films and series of comedies with some famous actors, actress and personalities in Kumerica to promote things in Kumasi, livelihood, and culture and the general activities. The idea is to promote Kumerica (Kumasi) music, Kumerica (Kumasi) movies and the act industries. In the larger sense, it is to promotes Asantes oneness, and Asnate kingdom. There is one such movie or film which confirms that ZOROKING (known in real life as Sean Frimpong) is the President of Kumerica movement. ZoroKing is a millionaire Kumasi-boy who has over the years promoted arts, actresses, actors, musicians, artists and artistes in the Oseikrom, Kumerica.
People like ZORO KING, Okyeame Kwame, Archipalago, Ypee, BRA Benk, Reggie, Kawabanga, Bigscout Nana Prempeh, Strongman burner, Kwaku Smoke, Cabum, Hayford Nomore Walls etc have promoted activities of Kumasi and Kumerica movement. On the 12/09/2020, the Kumerica movement made their first public appearance by organizing clean-up exercise at the Manhyia Palace, the Washington DC. The officials of the Kumerica and Kumericans led by David Portfolio, the National PRO and BRA BENK and others, brought these guys like the Asakaa Group, the Akatafuo Group and all concerned Kumericans to undertake a clean-up activity to make the city clean. This was their first public event. According to the PRO, this is the first event, and series of such public events and activities will be organized for the people of Kumerica to promote the city, and create job opportunities for the youth. All the big artistes were seen at the clean-up exercise. He continues that this was also an opportunity to introduce the movement to the King, OTUMFUO and his kingsmen. Artistes like Prince of Kumasi, O’ Kenneth, Kawabango, Reggie, Jay Bahd etc. were seen at the Manhyia Palace during the clean-up activity.
Asakaa is a typical street language developed by the people of Kumerica. It is a language of a blend of Twi, English, Fanti and Hausa spelt and pronounced and soken in a reversed format. One of the main reasons why the people of Kumasi developed Asakaa is for trading and street talk. They use Asakaa basically for trading at the main central business areas like Adum, kejetia, Racehorse, Bantama, etc. When selling and buying things at Kejetia or Adum, the sellers/traders would use Asakaa to communicate/talk to themselves so that person (buyer) buying from them traders (sellers) will not understand what they (sellers/traders) are talking about. This street language in Kumasi used by the Kumericans mainly started by the young people who were mainly men who hustle day and night to buy and sell at the most busiest and biggest opened market in West Africa, Kejetia. Kumericans have now created a musical genre from Asakaa. So the Kumerican movement has created Asakaa Genre or Asakaa Drill Music. Within the Kumericans, there is a group called Asakaa group who created and brought this type of music called Asakaa Music. They also have created Asakaa Dance.
Asakaa Music is full of terms, words whether Twi or English which are used by the Kumericans, and understood by the Kumericans. In Asakaa music or Asakaa language, the word, “brother” is spelt as or pronounced as “Dabro”. The language is like a reverse of words, phrases, sentences and stuff. When the young guys do not want strangers/visitiors who are non-Kumasi or non-Kumericans to understand what they (Kumasi guys) are saying (or talking about) they speak in Asakaa language. When non-Kumasi people come to Kumasi for the first time whether to trade or buy from them at Adum and Kejetia, the Kumericans (the people of Kumasi) can use/speak in Asakaa to confuse the strangers (visitors or the buyers), not to let them (the non-Kumericans) understand what they (Kumericans) are speaking about.