New Era Meets the Youth Driving Accra’s Creative Scene

New Era, the world’s leading headwear brand, has long been associated with music and underground youth culture and their latest initiative – a new docu-series journey, exploring the world’s underground creative scenes and the individuals who are defining them- once again reaffirms the brand’s position in culture. Their latest stop was in Ghana’s seaside capital of Accra, where a creative community is forming around alternative music, skate and surf culture. The Accra creative scene is one that is becoming quickly populated with new creative collectives, ideas and spaces to hang out, create and play.

The energy and curiosity of Ghanaian youth is what supercharges the scene, making it, unlike anything the country has seen in some time. Sandy Alibo, the founder of Surf Ghana, Vibrate Space, and Freedom Skatepark, three institutions central to Accra’s new music scene, is one of the many faces that New Era showcases in their latest documentary. “People in Ghana always say: oh, it’s Afrobeats or nothing,” Sandy explains. “I’m like, guys you’re wrong, there is a platform for an alternative scene here, and it’s at the skatepark.”

The Freedom Skatepark, which opened in December 2021, is Ghana’s first skating park. It has since become the epicentre of Ghana’s thriving alternative music scene, where collaborations happen, collectives are formed, and parties are thrown. According to Sandy, “the community in Ghana is ready to create, build, and connect with the world. With New Era, I want to give them the resources and tools to make things happen.”

Sandy stuck to her word. After seeing all of the DIY music and collaboration that was happening organically at the skate park, she founded Vibrate Space, a community recording music studio and business program designed to educate and equip emerging young musicians, managers and promoters. 

Vibrate Space is often utilised by one of the most thriving collectives in Accra right now; All My Cousins. All My Cousins is a seven-member group, comprising Ansah, Narah, Cozy, Tony, Seyyoh, Shrek and Juicy. The All My Cousins collective is about cousins coming together to discuss, connect and create, and they are making waves in the Ghanaian music scene. Each member has their own thing going on, but they also work as a group and collaborate with other artists across Accra.

“It’s not just the members of All My Cousins recording at Vibrate Space; we’ve had artists visit from all over Ghana and Africa as a whole,” says Sandy. “South Africa, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast… they are coming every month. I’m proud of this. I want to make sure that they believe in themselves and discover the resources and talent here.”

New Era’s latest partnership with Surf Ghana and Vibrate Space will provide support for over 400 emerging artists over the next six months through mentorship, access to the Vibrate Space studio, and opportunities to perform at live events. Contributions from the brand will also help provide AV and studio equipment and digital support for artists to raise awareness of their content across the region and globally.

The New Era and Surf Ghana partnership is an opportunity for emerging artists to showcase their talent and inspire others to pursue their dreams. It’s also an opportunity for creative communities around the world to unite and connect with one another, sharing their stories and building a better future together.