Ghana’s Grammy nominee Rocky Dawuni to tour Europe

Earlier this year Dawuni was one of the few African nominees at the prestigious Grammy Awards in the USA, where he was the first African artist to be nominated in the Best Reggae Album category, although he ultimately lost out to Jamaican family band Morgan Heritage.

Tagged ‘Branches of the Same Tree Summer 2016 European Tour’, the first stop in Dawuni's tour itinerary will be Riga, Latvia on 8 July. He will then perform in Spain, Belgium, Germany and Poland before ending in Ostrava in the Czech Republic on 17 July.

The full list of confirmed dates for his upcoming European tour is as follows:

• 8 July: Kometa Festival - Riga, Latvia
• 9 July: Musikaire Festival - Elorrio, Spain
• 10 July: Afro Latino Festival - Bree, Belgium
• 11 July: Bi Nuu - Berlin, Germany
• 14 July: Kostrzyn nad Odra - Warsaw, Poland
• 15 July: Sommerfestival der kulturen - Stuttgart, Germany
• 16 July: Stimmen-Festival Rosenfelspark - Lörrach, Germany
• 17 July: Colours of Ostrava Festival - Ostrava, Czech Republic

On either side of the European tour Dawuni will be performing in the US, where he currently spends much of his time.

In between his Grammy nod and the forthcoming tour, Rocky Dawuni has launched a new website. More interactive, it features videos, blogs, and tour dates. It also provides information regarding his efforts at activism, which connects Rocky Dawuni to one of his influences, the late Nigerian Afrobeat originator Fela.

According to an official release, Dawuni is also “influenced the positive messages of Bob Marley and the infectious, sing-along anthems of Michael Franti, K'naan and Matisyahu. Rocky Dawuni's songs straddle the musical boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean and the US to create a universally appealing sound that unites generations and cultures.”

In a recent interview, he spoke about the Grammy nomination, saying, “I think what the Grammy nomination did was to actually invigorate my efforts to keep increasing the profile and global reach of my music. My music is driven by a mission to project and promote a message of universal goodwill and be a catalyst to awaken a sense of humanity and consciousness among my listeners. Every platform of acknowledgement refreshes the mission and my resolve to work harder to be worthy of it.”

The tour is organized by Griot Agency and Griot Productions. For more details or to book tickets, visit the Rocky Dawuni website.