Similarities Between Chalewote in Ghana and Coachella in California 

In the realm of contemporary cultural phenomena, festivals stand as vibrant celebrations of art, music, and community, weaving together diverse threads of human expression. Chalewote Street Art Festival in Ghana and the globally renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California resonates with a global audience, both festivals share a striking similarity in their capacity to creativity, cultural exchange and redefine the boundaries of artistic expression and differences in food and drinks during this great celebration. Despite their geographical and cultural differences, the Chalewote Street Art Festival in Ghana and Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival in California both serves as significant platforms for artistic expression, community engagement, and cultural celebration, each reflecting and shaping their respective cultural landscapes in unique ways.

Chalewote is a unique and vibrant street art festival that showcase the creativity and diversity of culture that takes place every year in Accra, Ghana. Chalewote simply means “friend”, let’s go” in Ga language in Ghana. This festival has a theme each year, last year was “Re-imagining African Folklore”. It begins seven days before the end of August. It is a celebration of arts, music, dance and culture. Historically, it was mostly facing painting and charcoal drawing, but it has improved during the past few years graffiti murals, street boxing, fashion parades, skate shows, and street painting have been added to the celebration.  Religious participants are Christian, Muslim and Traditionalist which are the major religion in Ghana. During the day of the celebration, institutions like The School of Arts and any dance group showcase their skills. Chalewote is produced by Accra. Alt Radio, with support from other local cultural networks and institutions. Historically, it was mostly facing painting and charcoal drawing, but it has improved during the past few years graffiti murals, street boxing and street painting have been added to the celebration. There was a major festival called “Homowo meaning “hooting hunger” which only involved the elderly in the community, so the men and women youth decided to meet with traditional council to create this celebration for the youth (“The Library of Congress article on Homowo”,2007)The importance of this festival is to cultivate a wider audience for the arts in West Africa by breaking creative boundaries and using art as a viable form to rejuvenate public spaces. It also benefits the local community and the country by boosting tourism and social development. This celebration is important to me because it brings unity and peace to the ethnic and religious groups in the community. I chose this essay because I want to share my knowledge and appreciation of the festival with others who might not know it. I have learnt that there is more to this festival than I know.

Coachella officially called Coachella valley music and arts festival, is an annual festival held at the Empire polo club in Indio, California. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in October 1999, and organized by Golden voice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents. According to Yañez, C., C., Hopkins, F. M., & Porter, W. C., “The Coachella Valley, a desert region in Southern California, the warm and dry climate during winter months attracts seasonal visitors from Canada and northern US states (“snowbirds”). However, global warming may adversely impact the snowbird season and other tourist attractions through rising temperatures 2020” (2). The event features musical artists from many genres of music, including hip pop, rock, pop, and electronic dance music as well as art installations, face painting, graffiti and sculptures. It used to be just music and art artist from the United States who are well known but not both established and emerging artist are allowed to perform on the big stage to over 25,000 fans. It used to be a three-day event but with time it changed to a six-day event. Fans of the festival are allowed to camp on the grounds of the festival to help them save money on hotel and travel fees. The participants of this festival are youth. During the festival, people find their life partner. Institutions like Colleges in California, media house, social media and most music and art celebrities post online to announce the upcoming events and artist performing during the six days. Coachella is open to all religious background; it has no cultural morals. This festival is celebrated to showcase the music and art industry and gives the opportunity to new talents to advertise themselves in the world. It is a big source of entertainment every year, also it is a form of reunion for old friends or groups who have not met for a very longtime. I chose this festival because it matches with Chalewote festival in Ghana, West Africa and is very similar.

Chalewote street art festival in Accra, Ghana and Coachella valley music and arts festival California, USA though seemingly worlds apart, share several surprising similarities amidst their apparent. Firstly, celebration of art and music, both festivals are platforms for celebrating art and culture. They showcase a variety of art forms, including music, visual arts and performance arts. Local and international artists are given this big stage to exhibit their talent. This helps emerging artists and is a venue for established ones. Also, both festivals have a significant influence in their respective regions and globally. They contribute to the cultural landscape and have a substantial impact on the arts scene. Community engagement is also one of the similarities to both festivals. They attract a diverse crowd of attendees, fostering a sense of community and shared communities. The attendees are mostly youths that aim to be inclusive, by inviting people from all walks of life to participate and enjoy the celebration. These differences highlight the unique characteristics of each festival and how they reflect and shape their respective cultural landscapes. The location and cultural context of both festivals, Chalewote is held in Accra, Ghana and is deeply rooted in the local culture and history of Jamestown, one of Africa’s most historic communities and which is taken place on the streets featuring street face painting, graffiti murals, photo exhibitions and no stage for music artist to perform. On the other hand, Coachella is held is held in Indio, California and features a blend of music genres that reflect the diverse cultural landscape of the Unites States. Music genres like rock, pop, indie, hip pop and electronic dance music. Who goes to a festival without getting hungry? Both festivals have great difference in food. Chalewote has a traditional food called “kpokpoi” (made with corn), the reason for this food during the day of the festival is because the ancestors of the Ga tradition went through famine years ago and their only means of survival was corn used to prepare the “kpokpoi” and was used to hoot hunger. This cultural food was advanced and palm nut soup was added to the food to make it tastier whilst Coachella has American fast foods and cocktails available, street foods like hotdog, fries and burger and some people also serve signature specialty cocktail programs and large craft beer selections. “What to eat and drink at the festival, including shake shack and kombucha bar, California” (Franko, 2018). Expect to find coffees, teas, juices and a selection of non-alcoholic craft cocktails and beverages. In 2023, for Chalewote was “Magneto Motherland” theme typically draw on indigenous artistic expressions and local cultural narratives and Coachella does not have a specific theme each year however, the festival is known for its diverse lineup of artist and genres which has led the public to determine a major theme of Coachella 2023 as “diversity”.

In conclusion, despite their differences, both festivals highlight the universal human love for art and music and the power of such events in bridging cultural divides and fostering a sense of global community. Whether it is the colourful streets of Accra during Chalewote or the sprawling fields of Indio during Coachella, these festivals remind us of the transformative power of art and its ability to bring people together. They stand as testaments to the rich tapestry of global culture and the unifying power of shared artistic experiences. I have learnt a lot from this research, and it has made me realize it does not matter where or how your festival is being celebrated it will be like a culture far from where you come from.

Works Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Coachella”. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 16 Jan. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/art/Coachella-Valley-Festival. Accessed 10 February 2024.

Yañez, C., C., Hopkins, F. M., & Porter, W. C. (2020). Projected impacts of climate change on tourism in the Coachella valley, California. Climatic Change, 162(2), 707-721. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02843-x.

Franko, V. (2018, Apr 03). Coachella 2018: What to eat and drink at the festival, including shake shack and a kombucha bar. Whittier Daily News Retrieved from http://168.156.198.98:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/coachella-2018-what-eat-drink-at-festival/docview/2021247176/se-2.