Hello family and welcome to Akoma Baako! Akoma Baako means “One Heart” in the Twi language like the Bob Marley song. It also signifies unity. I started it to begin an intercontinental renaissance of art, poetry, and music, by various artist collaborating to create a conversation that will lead to the reunification of Africans on the Continent and Africans through-out the diaspora, but all people are welcome to partake and to witness this family reunion. The reason I felt it was necessary to begin this conversation is because I have been on several groups on social media where African American blacks and Continental African blacks are at odds with each other and some of the reasons that they give are just insane, we are distant cousins and not that much difference separates us.

For those who don’t know me I hope that I have provided a good introduction to who I am in my first four post, and what I’d like to accomplish. If I haven’t please feel free to ask and leave comments below. Within, this blog I will post answers to questions about repatriation which is a different situation for everyone. Some people repatriate because they are marrying to a local Ghanaian, others have their entire families in tow and are repatriating to remove themselves from inexcusable circumstances creating tension at home, some like myself are just seeking peace of mind. I will be writing and performing poetry here and you can also catch us on the podcast on YouTube@AkomaBaako and hopefully my poetry partner and co-host Yaw Adjei-Owiafe will be joining the cast very soon. We will interview local Ghanaian and American artist, authors, writers, singers musicians and artist so please like and subscribe.

In this blog, I will post observations of similarities and differences in what I observe in Africa compared to what I know about in America, I will discuss history and genealogy, art and culture.

One Heart Beat

From the first

  beat of our heart

Into this universe

  We are apart

Of this vibration,

   We add to the chorus,

The rhythmic strum

    Of a nation,

Who Can ignore us ?

When we are in tune as one

   all beating to the same drum

We make music

   Only when we clap in unison

And when we talk,

   We must begin the conversation

We must be present in the walk

   That leads to reconciliation,

          Self determination

             And end to global colonization

                Fratricide and self-annihilation 

Of Africans who live anywhere

        upon this rock

Of a vast universe,

      Whose heart flutter like a flock

  Of unrehearsed,

Beats of snare and sound.

  One heart beat adds

to the cacophony

  We create percussion

Snare and symphony

   Our one heart beat

Adds to the melody,

  Of many others,

Our rythymic cry

  Added to the lyrics

Of many mothers

   We are the afterbirth,

That was saved

   The hope of the colonized,

The dream of the slave

   Of ancestors torn apart,

And scattered over the earth,

   Beating together as one heart

We can stand away

   And say we don’t matter

To each other

  But do we mean it,

We can remain scattered

  A heartbeat away,

But progress is made

  When we all push together

I’ve seen it,

One Africa,

  One people

    One diaspora,

So close, so far, apart

One thread for the needle,

One love for the heart.

©Victoria 26 Nov 2019

Prolouge:

Let’s take this opportunity

This instrument of now

To create unity, amongst us

This talking drum

Which beats inside us,

defines just us,

A community, seeking justice