The Tradition goes on. Oral communication plays an integral part of the sound identity through the mother tongue of the people of Accra. Over time, urbanization has impacted the identity of the language and sounds of the Ga—the traditional Indigenous settlers and people of Accra.

The beautiful chaos observed as part of the everyday life of the people of Accra oozes a unique sonic tapestry woven by the urban, socio-economic experiences, struggles, and triumphs—an experience filtered through my lens and expressed in this collection of images and sound. Field recordings capture the soundprint
of the environment and are processed to open up a new dialogue. Iconic objects and forms that replicate sound patterns and tones—most of which go overlooked—are captured through sound that documents, holds, and interacts with the everyday of Accra. Most of these visuals and sounds are seen as chaotic noise. This chaotic noise of friction holds the importance of communal identity within the urban spaces of Accra.

Through my real-life immersion and interactions in the community, the community becomes an audience to something that they have always been an audience of, without notice. My intention was to unlock and reveal this identity by shifting the visual language using sound and form as a device of communication.

This text has been excerpted from forA issue #1: Frictions. To read the full conversation, purchase the journal here: https://birkhauser.com/books/9783035628517

Steloolive (Evans Mireku Kissi) is a sound performance artist, composer, and electronic music DJ based in Accra, Ghana. With his eccentric style of exploring sound, he is a trailblazer of his generation. His work consists of a mixture of experimental sound delivery, fashion, art, and conceptual photography.