DAVIS — Okaidja Afroso is more than a performer. He is a cultural translator who uses music as his language of connection.
A Ghanaian-born singer, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist now based in Portland, Oregon, Afroso has spent decades carrying the rhythms, languages, and philosophies of West Africa onto global stages. His work blends traditional Ghanaian music with Afro-diasporic and American influences, creating performances that function as both intimate concerts and storytelling ritual.
Last weekend, Afroso brought that vision to the Mondavi Center Vanderhoef Studio Theatre stage, offering audiences a visually vibrant and sonically diasporic musical experience. He was joined by singer and dancer Janet Quaye and drummer Francis Osei, both fellow Ghanaian artists. The trio used music, movement, and rhythm to share stories of Accra, Afroso’s early life, and his ongoing commitment to keeping alive his native language, Ga.
Afroso has lived in the United States for 26 years, calling Portland home since his arrival. But his artistic journey began long before then, rooted in Ghana’s traditions of movement, rhythm, and communal storytelling.
He started as a dancer, receiving his first formal training in traditional dance with Ghana Dance Ensemble, affiliated with the University of Ghana. For about five years, he immersed himself not only in choreography but in the cultural meanings behind each movement and drum pattern.
Afroso says dance was never about money or recognition, but freedom. “I just was doing it because it’s something I love, and I never thought it would feed me or bring me where I am today,” he said. That devotion eventually led him to the Ghana Dance Ensemble and, later, to meeting his mentor, Obo Addy.
Addy was a pioneering Ghanaian composer and master drummer who helped introduce African traditional music to audiences in the United States. After seeing Afroso perform in Ghana, Addy invited him to work together in the United States, opening the door to a life-changing move that reshaped Afroso’s artistic path.
It was in the United States that Afroso began to fully step into music. Though rhythm had always lived in his body as a dancer, he did not initially consider himself a musician. He taught himself to play the guitar out of necessity, frustrated by his inability to fully communicate the sounds he heard in his head to other musicians. Teaching himself allowed him to translate those ideas directly into sound. From the start, he made a deliberate choice to sing exclusively in Ga, the language of the Ga-Dangme people of Accra and its surrounding areas.
Language is central to Afroso’s artistry. As Ghana’s capital continues to develop, Ga, like many indigenous languages, is increasingly diluted by English. From across the Atlantic, Afroso views his music as a bridge, encouraging younger generations to remain connected to their linguistic and cultural roots. “Through my music, I’m able to still, even being in America for a long time, speak the language well, retain it, and encourage others to use it as well,” he said.
Just as intentional as the language he sings in are the stories his songs tell. One of Afroso’s favorite pieces performed that night was “Jojo,” a song reflecting on life without his father and the lessons he wished had been passed down after becoming a father himself.
Even audience members unfamiliar with the language were visibly moved. “I’ve been getting to know more about Ghanaian culture through my boyfriend, but this show helped me learn even more about the music,” attendee Alexis Williams said. “It was a really great experience and expanded my knowledge.”
Through weaving storytelling with music, Afroso offered the audience more than a performance. He offered a type of memory, language, and living history that can only be expressed through song and rhythm.
Afroso has published several albums and is currently in the midst of a three-part album project, two of which can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. It began with “Jaku Mumor,” a collaboration with fishermen, followed by “Aboa E Eni.” The third installment is in the works.