It’s the year 2011, a new sound erupted from the seaside of Jamestown—a young man adding his quota to the then growing trend—Azonto, an indigenous dance routine which also became a genre of music in Ghana.
Ghanaian Hiplife artiste, Gasmilla christened Odartei Milla Lamptey, who often was identified with is unique moniker—’International Fisherman’ brought the whole nation together to the ‘nshona’ with his hit singles Aboodatoi and Telemo.
Throughout the years he has enjoyed great success both locally and internationally. Arguably one of Ghana’s musical comrades to take Azonto worldwide.
2021 will see Gasmilla celebrating a decade in the Ghana music industry. Apart from churning out indigenous hit songs in his native Ga language, the 3 Points crooner has evolved into being a figure of change and impact in his society.
Beyond the music, his impact and leading societal changes have been recognized through community building, periodic cleaning of some of Accra’s filthiest locations, a beacon of hope for the youth, and preserving culture. He was recently awarded with the ‘Green Ambassador Award’ at the 2020 Vodafone Music Awards.
As part of his 10-year anniversary celebrations, the international fisherman and his ‘Gasmilliens’ will seek to self-sustaining implement systems and ultimately have the mindsets of the youth re-calibrated for a cleaner Accra.
From August 15th 2021, through to September 26th, 2021 Gasmilla and his team in partnership with AMA, GA Traditional Council, Zoomlion, Ghandour Kleanz with the support of UNDP will embark on a journey to clean the Ga communities in the capital. This will coincide perfectly with Homowo— an annual festival for Gas.
At least seven Ga localities will be cleaned by Gasmilla and his team and the hope is that cleaning culture will crystallized in the hearts of the people, beyond this one-time annual event.
With the annual Homowo Beach Clean Up already serving as a perfect example of purpose, Gasmilla is hoping to tighten the cause by raising the needed awareness in curtailing the spread of diseases such as Covid-19, Cholera, Malaria etc.
The future of Gasmilla’s community cleaning is bright; an annual festival of community cleaning is in sight. However, the people in these Ga communities will not only learn about the importance of cleanliness. It will serve as a bedrock for continual education about Ga history, its culture and connect the community to their respective influencers to further the cause of youth empowerment.
Below are details of the areas involved in the clean up:
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By: Olele Salvador | Ghana Weekend
