Ghanaian writer and author of A Quick Ting On: Afrobeats, Christian Adofo, had to sink into various forms of culture to get inspiration and build context for his book: ‘My writing process ranged from watching dormant YouTube channels archiving nightlife in the UK and the wider West African diaspora. I also had to go through past interviews looking for themes on identity and heritage that influenced creativity in song or instrumental form.’
Editor’s note: This essay is available in our print issue, The Age of Afrobeats. Buy the issue here.
First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.
Our questions are italicized.
What books or kinds of books did you read growing up?
I grew up reading a plethora of non-fiction from Doring Kindersley’s encyclopaedias to classics such as Voltaire’s Candide to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart but the most influential prose for me was reading The Biography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.
Which African songs immediately takes you back to your childhood?
That will be the classic by Pat Thomas, ‘Sika Ye Mogya’; Nakorex’s ‘Kpanlogo’ and Jewel Ackah’s ‘Asomdwe Hene’.
What song is the soundtrack of your life so far?
‘Sacrifice’ by American hip hop band, The Roots...
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