Homegrown: HipLife in Ghana at the NY African Film Festival

BY Eric Z. Camins, August 6, 2009

Our brother Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, who many of you may know for his film Inventos: Hip-Hop Cubano, will be showing his second film this Friday in the Bronx. (Details below)

Over the past decade, Hip-Hop music has merged with High-Life, the traditional music of West Africa. This fusion has led to the birth of a new musical genre called HipLife. Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi’s film, HomeGrown: HipLife in Ghana, is a feature-length documentary about V.I.P. (Vision In Progress), Ghana’s most talented and successful musical group in the emerging HipLife movement. V.I.P.’s. unique members come from a diverse set of religious affiliations, ethnic groups, and language backgrounds.

In the film, V.I.P. uses their music to challenge false misconceptions about Africa. They set an example for African youth by writing lyrics in their native languages and creating true Hip-Hop from an African perspective. The film documents ten years of their journey from the ghetto in Accra to their first international tour. They grow from being teenagers with a shared dream to musicians with fans around the world. The tension between traditional values and international stardom unfolds in the film’s dynamic story-line.

Eli worked on this film for over a decade, and his dedication has paid off. The close relationship of the director and the musicians allows for intimate interviews that give the viewer an in depth look into the lives of these artists.

Check the trailer out below.

New Yorkers can see Homegrown this Friday, August 7th 2009, along with a live set by DJ Leydis, at the New York African Film Festival.

Friday, August 7, 2009
6:00pm – 10:00pm
across the street from the Bronx Museum
1125 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY

The film is also screening at:

Ethos Festival in Hastings, United Kingdom Aug. 29th, 2009

Africa in the Picture Film Festival (Amsterdam & Rotterdam) Sept. 9th-14th, 2009

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