Caribbean Carnival and Chance the Rapper’s Mission to Reclaim Black Culture
Carnival in Jamaica
Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to the Caribbean for Carnival season. Whether it’s a messy jouvert or a boisterous and ‘boasty’ road march, carnival is a great equalizer, with celebrities dancing to the same beat as the common man.
This year was no exception. One notable guest was hip-hop megastar Chance The Rapper (born Chancellor Jonathon Bennet) who was visiting the island in celebration of his 30th birthday.
The rapper completed the road march with the popular Xodus band, but Carnival wasn’t all vibes and liquor for the Grammy Award-winning artist. Chance’s journey to Jamaica marked another leg in his mission to pick up where Jamaican national hero Marcus Garvey left off.
Black Star Line Festival
In a conversation with RollingStone, Chance asserted, “We don’t have no movies about Marcus Garvey and the Black Star Line.” The original Black Star Line was a steamship company developed to establish trade and cultural connections between the African diaspora and the continent itself.
It was also a reclamation of maritime travel, the method through which the African diaspora was forcibly removed from the continent.
Chance and his old running mate Vic Mensa, are re-imagining the movement through a medium he’s an expert in – music. The concept for the festival took root in Chance’s mind the minute he landed in Ghana for the first time.
He traveled to the West African country at the behest of Vic who had made the journey before. He quickly fell in love with his surroundings. To be welcomed by Black faces and beauty was almost overwhelming, he recalled. He learned the history of the continent and was particularly influenced by the life of Kwame Nkrumah.
First Edition in Ghana
This past January, the rapper’s inaugural Black Star Line Festival was held in Accra. Chance and Vic performed, as well as other established acts from the United States, including T-Pain, Erykah Badu, and Jeremih, as well as local acts, the Asakaa Boys, M.Anifest, Tobe Nwigwe, and more.
Over 50,000 people attended the festival that apart from starting hours later than advertised, went off without a hitch.
Like that first trip to Ghana with Vic, Chance’s visit to the island served a dual purpose, reconnaissance. On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the rapper shared that plans are in the works to hold the next festival on the island.
The rapper met with Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Babsy Grange, US Ambassador to Jamaica, N. Nickolas Perry, and Usain Bolt.
Conclusion
Chance the Rapper’s mission to reclaim Black culture and connect with his African heritage is an inspiring one. Through his music and the Black Star Line Festival, he is re-imagining the movement and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the African diaspora.
FAQs
Q: What is the Black Star Line Festival?
A: The Black Star Line Festival is a music festival conceived by Chance the Rapper to celebrate the cultural heritage of the African diaspora.
Q: What is the purpose of the festival?
A: The festival aims to re-imagine the movement of the Black Star Line, a steamship company that connected the African diaspora to the continent, and to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the African diaspora.
Q: Who has performed at the festival?
A: Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, T-Pain, Erykah Badu, Jeremih, Asakaa Boys, M.Anifest, Tobe Nwigwe, and other local and international artists have performed at the festival.
Q: What is the significance of Marcus Garvey and the Black Star Line?
A: Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican national hero who founded the Black Star Line, a steamship company that aimed to connect the African diaspora to the continent and promote Pan-Africanism. The Black Star Line is a symbol of African diasporic unity and resistance against oppression.