Paa Kwesi Holdbrook-Smith
HoodTalk Music Festival, a project initiated by the DreamChild Foundation to use music to bring young Ghanaians together to discuss topical issues about their progress while engaging in healthy entertainment, is set to get going on August 26.
DreamChild Foundation is an NGO committed to help provide adequate healthcare, education and other support services to African children.
Its ‘HoodTalk’ project has already received endorsement from the Office of the President, and the NGO is also engaged with raising funds to build five paediatric clinics across Ghana.
Additionally, DreamChild Foundation seeks to create awareness about the challenges faced by the girl-child, address climate change and engage young people in a tree-planting drive.
The first concert in the HoodTalk Music Festival is slated for August 26 at the Kingdom Gardens, Ashiyie-Regimanuel Katamanso Estate in Accra. Other concerts are scheduled for Tamale (September), Kumasi and Takoradi (October) and Ho (November).
The climax of the festival will be on December 9 at the Independence Square in Accra. Some foreign acts will also be on the bill.
“We are in discussions with some of the best acts in this country for the festival,” said Paa Kwesi Holdbrook-Smith of Virtual Hub, which is working closely with DreamChild Foundation on the HoodTalk Music Festival. “We always like to offer top quality productions,” he added.
According to him, DreamChild Foundation is in touch with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; DJ Union of Ghana (DJUGA); Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and UNESCO as well as some corporate entities for support in various ways to enhance the success and reach of the music festival.
The NGO has expressed gratitude to UNESCO and its representative in Ghana, Mr. Diallo Abdourahamane, for their support for DreamChild Foundation and the Jazz at the Park concert it held on April 30.
The land at Ashiyie on which the Jazz at the Park concert was held, has been donated for the construction of the first paediatric clinic on the NGO’s agenda.
By Kouame Koulibaly