AGO OF KUMERICA

AIMS, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF KUMERICA (KUMERICA MOVEMENT)

We have time immemorial wanted to give a new and unique outlook for Kumasi. Many people have always fought for good things for Kumasi. The idea of Kumerica movement has always been with us since the 1990s, though the term Kumerica was not coined. But whether by superstition or divine intervention or destiny or mystery, the term Kumerica was coined from the blend of Kumasi [Ku] and America [merica] in the early 2020. At first Kumerica was associated with some young Kumasi guys who portrayed their lifestyle as Black Americans. As we speak now the term Kumerica has metamorphosed to mean literally as the name of Greater Kumasi city, while Kumerican is someone who lives in and/or born in Kumasi (Kumerica), and it doesn’t matter whether the person dresses and behaves like a Black American or lives in luxurious lifestyle with bling-bling or his physical location on this planet.

Our motives and reasons for this new Kumasi, Kumerica, are not different from the 1990s and our forefathers but just in a modernized dimension. The reasons, goals, aims and objectives of Kumerica or Kumerica movement are:

  1. To promote the creative arts industry or performing arts, film and movie industries, crafts and arts, music and dance, and the larger the entertainment industry in Kumasi and Asante region at large.
  2. To blend our history, tradition and culture with modernization in creative arts. This will reshape our entertainment industries in 21st century modern Kumasi.
  3. Kumerica aims to empower the youth to be original, resourceful and creative in music, and creative arts in general.
  4. It is our goal or objective to create economic avenues for the people of Kumasi in the production of goods and services in the areas of clothing, music, songs, footwear, souvenir, paraphernalia, beads, wristlets, necklets, armbands, wristband, wrist lace,  jewellery, necklaces, rings, bracelets, keyholders, wall sticker, wall papers, food containers, T-shirts, food and other products using the Asantes’ flag, Asantes’ colours, adinkra symbols, the porcupine symbol, the term (name) Kumerica, Kumerica flag, Komfo Anokye Statue, the Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi) symbol, Dɛnkyɛm kyɛ (the Crown of the Manhyia Palace) symbol, and other Asantes’ designs and symbols and emblems.
  5. The Kumerica movement aims to make the life and social lifestyle of Kumasi people lovely, lively and enjoyable. This will reduce many illnesses and complications associated with stress, depression, distress and anxiety. It is a movement to bring fun in Kumasi; to make Kumasi the most happiest, lovely, and haven place to live Ghana and Africa at large. This will make the people feel proud of themselves as Asantes and for living in Kumasi.
  6. To make social media fun and enjoyable for users and those who visit Kumasi communities, platforms and groups online. Having fun on social media and interacting with group of different people from different places globally like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok etc is a way of reducing stress, depression, distress and anxiety. It is one of the means of therapies I term as Social Therapy. We go to social media to read news, get information, have fun, interact with groups of different people, laugh and enjoy ourselves in a virtual society. It is our aim to set up a social media community or group platform for people to benefit from this Social Therapy.

    Social Therapy is a form of psychotherapy (psychological therapy or treatment) people get through group interactions, such as on the social media by surfing (browsing) through the internet, the social media networks and other electronic (online) platforms, reading news, getting information, posting, replying and commenting on people’s posts, having fun, laughing and enjoying everything on the social media and interacting with different groups of people on the internet which in a way reduces and cures stress, depression, distress, anxiety, problematic behaviours, beliefs and feelings, and other relationship issues.
  7. Kumerica is aimed to project and rebrand the name of the city (Kumasi) and the people higher globally (internationally) in the areas of music, movie, film, performing arts, creative arts, craft and entertainment. This includes our musicians, songwriters, songstress, artistes, actors, actresses, sound engineers, movie and film producers and directors, TV and radio show hosts, DJs and MCs. It is our aim to rebrand the city’s name ‘Kumasi’ with the name (term) ‘Kumerica’.
  8. To create strong platforms and market base for our young musicians in Kumasi, both locally and internationally, to sell their music, songs, movies, films, skits, drama series, plays, creative arts, products, ideas and creativity. To tell and sell our stories in our own ways and styles. To sell to ourselves and buy from ourselves our creativity and ideas. This includes sporting activities, television and radio shows.
  9. This movement aims to conscientize and instill confidence and can-do spirit in the youth to work hard to achieve their dreams in life; to believe in themselves that they can do anything they aim at no matter their struggles and hustles.
  10. To make Kumasi economically self-sufficient, independent, resourceful, and to develop the city in our own small ways without waiting for political powers (or political parties) to build the city for us. In this way, we aim to unite and support ourselves, and fight our common socio-economic ‘enemies’ such as ‘unemployment’ and ‘poverty’ in our small ways with our little resources. ‘If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain’. In other words, if no one helps us or feeds us, we must help ourselves or feed ourselves. If there are no jobs for us to do, we must create the jobs for us to do.
  11. To create a musical subgenre in hiphop music (in Ghana [or in hiplife]) called Kumerica Drill (Kumerica Drill Music or Asakaa Drill or Asakaa). In other words, Kumerica movement aims to bring a Drill music into Ghana music industry and rebrand it to suit our lifestyle and way of music. This adapted and rebranded drill music in Ghana is called Asakaa for short (or Kumerica Drill or Asakaa Drill or Kumerica Drill Music). There is a corresponding dance to this new Ghana Drill music called Asakaa Dance. The word Asakaa itself is also a street language use by the Kumericans. The Asakaa Dance is like a boogie dance, shaking your shoulders alternatively, and jumping alternatively with your legs one after the other.
  12. It is one of the aims of the Kumerica movement to organize clean-up activities in Kumasi to keep the city clean and tidy. The first of this exercise was held at the Manhyia Palace on 12/09/2020. It also our aim to organize our own music awards events, and other events such as jams, clubbing, live bands, kumerica music festivals, get-togethers, and other entertainment activities in Kumasi. The main purpose is to support and promote ourselves and our brands. We also aim to periodically organize health-walk, keep-fit clubs, other physical exercises and sporting activities. “A healthy mind in a healthy body”.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT KUMERICA

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