October 3, 2018
For Caroline Bempong ’20, and Maame Efua Boham ’20, taking a bold step and trying was all they had to do to make their musical dreams a reality. The duo landed the opportunity to kick-start their music careers when they found application forms on Twitter for Black Girls Glow (BGG); a year-long residency program aimed at fostering collaboration among budding female artists. Selected out of 50 shortlisted candidates to be part of six BGG fellows, the group though quite early into fellowship, has already released their first album, Hermony, a blend of hip-hop, soul and contemporary music.
The experience so far has been eye-opening for both ladies. Despite having performed a series of choreographies in high school and being an avid drummer, Caroline had never actually engaged in voice performance. Her audition to BGG was the first time she created rap music. “I just didn’t know how to start,” she said. “My ideas always felt stuck in my head, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity, so I went out on a limb and made it through. Now, however, collaborating with the other fellows is amazing and has made it much easier to bring forth my ideas.”
On the other hand, Maame Efua was no stranger to lyrical performances, having sung and performed spoken word poetry on multiple occasions. Moreover, as a campus tour guide and a member of the Ashesi’s Storytellers club, she was well-versed in storytelling and adjusting her rhetoric based on her audience. However, creating her own music was still for her, entirely new grounds. “Initially, it was intimidating to walk in the shoes of the 2017 fellows because they were quite seasoned musicians who had a substantial following, whereas we were now beginning to build careers in music,” said Maame. “However, soon enough I became comfortable with making music, and some of our tracks have quickly become crowd favorites.”
Since releasing their album, the fellows have had incredible exposure; from magazine features to radio interviews to performances at high-billed events. Also, as part of the residency, the team is helping drive a nation-wide campaign on educating people about mental health and inclusivity.
Following the fellowship, both Caroline and Maame plan to continue producing music, though on unique artistic journeys. Currently in their third year at Ashesi, both Caroline a Business Administration major and Maame Efua, a Computer Science major, are combining school work and extra-curricular activities with the musical careers. Maame continues to hone her spoken-word and music journey, while Caroline intends to further collaborate with other creatives both in art and music. She also hopes to get signed on to a label, so her music has a wider reach while continuing to work actively to promote good mental health for women.
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