I first saw Derrick Ashong when I got word there was a Youtube video featuring a brother who spoke eloquently about his support of Barack Obama, to the obvious surprise of his interviewer. Remember this?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kica8hmSdAM]
Come to find out Derrick is a Harvard-educated Afropolitan, born in Ghana, living in LA. And he’s a musician. His band Soulfege recently released a debut album called Take back the mic. Here Derrick takes a crack at the Afripop Q&A, and of course, he aces it.
Members of the group Soulfege (pronounced ‘sOl-fezh) Derrick Ashong is on the left.
Where are you from?
I was born in Accra, Ghana. My mother is an Akan. My father is of the Ga tribe. My paternal grandfather is descended of the Fante tribe and so my full name is Fante, which is also an Akan group.
Where are you right now?
I live in Los Angeles
What do you do?
I am a musician and I do a lot of work with entrepreneurship as well as youth activism. I play guitar, bass and keyboard and am a vocalist and MC. I also write & produce most of the music of Soulfège.
What do you love most about the city you live in?
The sun. 
It is warm and beautiful and full of opportunity. Anything is possible here, and if you put yourself in the path of destiny, you might meet a most amazing one.
How often do you visit Africa?
Usually once a year. I have not been home to Ghana in a year-and-a half, but I was in Arusha, Tanzania last summer.
What do you love most about the continent?
The people. There are infinite possibilities represented in the African culture, mind and spirit. I want to see our people realize their true potential. When I go home I love to see how people treat one another. Little elements of respect that acknowledge each other’s humanity. I love the fact that Africans are so multilingual. Learning another’s language open’s your mind to new ways of seeing and understanding the world around you. And I love the sun and the sheen it leaves on the skin of all who meet her, daily. I love the smell of the ocean that washes over me when I step out of the airplane at Kotoka. And I love the enormous and beautiful sky, full of stars that my ancestors wondered over and wandered under. I pray those very stars will see me and my generation do honor to the memory of those who paved the way for us.
Who are your African all-stars/ heroes and why?
Kwame Nkrumah. He paved the way for Africa to truly be for Africans. Marcus Garvey for showing the next generation of leaders like Nkrumah why this must be so. And my dad Emmanuel F. Ashong for giving me the wisdom and the courage to carry on and build upon the good works done by our predecessors.
What’s your favorite food from back home?
I am a simple guy. I like Gari Foto, Jollof Rice, Wakye (ie. red beans & rice) and Banku and Tilapia.
What proverb do you live by?
Gyenyame:
“No one is greater than I…except God.”
“I fear no one…except God.”
“All things change…except God.”
“The wise child need only be spoken to in proverbs.”
What inspires you?
Music, Love, Excellence in almost any form, Hope
What’s your vice?
Peanut Butter
What makes someone African?
The decision.
Derrick Ashong and Soulfege will be performing at the Viva La Vuvuzela Festival in New York City, this Saturday, July 9th.
