Ethan Thomas Named Afrochella Rising DJ Challenge Winner

Organisers of the Afrochella Rising DJ challenge in Ghana have named Ethan Thomas as the winner of the maiden edition of the competition.

The contest, a partnership between Believe-owned digital music distribution company TuneCore and African music festival Afrochella, aims to spotlight outstanding independent DJs by offering the overall winner a performance slot at this year’s Afrochella stage on 28 and 29 December in Accra. More than 100 entries were received from across the continent.

The announcement was made on Tuesday at the Afrochella Music Museum in Accra, as part of TuneCore and Afrochella’s artist and industry mixer. The event witnessed a live DJ battle for the top spot, with Thomas emerging victorious.

A Ghanaian-American creative and entrepreneur, Thomas is also a producer, his style blending reggae and Afrobeats. He beat fellow finalists DJ Damifresh (Nigeria) and DJ Wendy Rose (DRC). The competition’s organisers noted that they were “excited to have him on the field representing Ghana.” 

Meanwhile, West African artists Burna Boy and Stonebwoy have been announced as the headliners of this year’s edition of the festival. Running under the theme Afrofuturism, it will “reflect on the past, explore the future and create a progressive path for the present African diaspora,” according to a statement.

First held in 2017, Afrochella was founded to celebrate African culture and showcase works by emerging creatives, artists and entrepreneurs across the continent. “As we embark on another year of celebrating African culture, Afrochella will bring Afrofuturism to life through our core elements of music, art, fashion and food,” Afrochella co-founder and CEO Abdul Karim Abdullah said. “We will explore the endless possibilities of what Afrofuturism could look like in 2022 and beyond.”

Afrochella co-founder and chief operating officer Kenny Agyapong Jr added: “As one of the most celebrated cultural moments in Ghana, this year we have the exciting challenge of bringing 20 000 travellers to the country. We plan to not only achieve this goal but to make Ghana the premier destination for all travellers around the world.”