A veteran traveler returning to Ghana after nearly 50 years finds the warmth and hospitality that first captivated them in 1980 remarkably intact, even as the country has transformed. Improvements in infrastructure and urban development have been accompanied by a flourishing creative scene centered on contemporary art, fashion, music, food, and design. In Accra, galleries like Gallery 1957 showcase homegrown talent, while collectives such as Artemartis nurture emerging artists who once had to leave Ghana to find success. Members’ clubs, fashion designers reviving traditional textiles, and restaurants celebrating Ghanaian cuisine reflect a broader cultural renaissance rooted in national pride. Beyond the capital, Ibrahim Mahama’s Red Clay Studio in Tamale and Ghana’s first luxury eco-safari lodge demonstrate how creativity and conservation are reaching beyond urban centers. Through funerals celebrated as vibrant communal events and street life bursting with color, the protagonist discovers a country that has modernized without losing the soul that made it unforgettable decades ago.
FT
