Beyond the Concert: What BHIM festival London reveals about Ghana’s cultural diplomacy and soft power

Stonebwoy’s BHIM Festival London at OVO Arena Wembley showcases more than just Ghanaian music’s international growth. While the event attracted a large audience and provided an impressive spectacle, the real insight lies in the potential for cultural diplomacy and soft power that can emerge from such international exposure. These concepts are crucial in understanding how countries present themselves to the world, through various forms such as music, film, fashion, food, sport, language, personalities, festivals, and stories.

Moving a Ghanaian-created festival into a major London arena is about more than just exporting a concert. It’s about transporting Ghana’s cultural elements – music, language, fashion, performance, and visual elements – to a global stage. For an international audience member, the presence of a scenic interpretation inspired by Ghana’s Independence Arch may evoke a sense of history, identity, and home for a Ghanaian or diaspora audience member.

For others, it might prompt a simple but important question: What is that structure, and what does it represent? This curiosity is significant, as it demonstrates how cultural diplomacy can influence how people perceive a country. People often come to a concert for music and entertainment, but in the process, they might encounter symbols, language, stories, and identities that shape their understanding of the country.

However, it is important for Ghana to approach soft power cautiously. A successful concert doesn’t automatically translate to soft power. International visibility alone does not equate to influence. Soft power develops over time through repeated cultural encounters that create attraction, familiarity, credibility, and relationships.

It is more beneficial to view events like BHIM Festival London as part of a potential soft-power pathway rather than as definitive proof of soft-power outcomes. One concert might generate curiosity, while several successful cultural encounters can build familiarity. Over time, this familiarity can contribute to a positive perception of Ghana, increased interest in visiting the country, engagement with Ghanaian businesses and culture, stronger diaspora relationships, or a more favorable international reputation for Ghana.

Ghana’s challenge lies not in a lack of cultural assets, but rather in converting that attention into tangible benefits. The strategic question is how to connect cultural attention to tangible outcomes such as tourism, diaspora engagement, investment, development of the creative industry, and Ghana’s broader international reputation.

The diaspora plays a crucial role in this conversion process. For diaspora audiences, a festival like BHIM can serve as a mechanism for cultural reconnection. Music, language, familiar imagery, and collective celebration can create a space for remembering, performing, and sharing identity across generations. As cultural intermediaries, diaspora communities can introduce Ghanaian culture to their networks, travel home, invest, advocate, create businesses, and influence global perceptions of Ghana.

In this way, the diaspora can significantly impact Ghana’s international image and opportunities beyond just ticket sales.

Another important aspect is recognizing that cultural export should include the industry behind the artist. When African music travels, it’s essential to consider the professional expertise required to present that music internationally. A concert like BHIM Festival London involves Ghanaian professionals working alongside their UK counterparts in production leadership, sound engineering, technical direction, lighting design, and special effects.

Ghana should aim to export not only its creativity but also its creative capability. This means building production companies, technicians, designers, and creative businesses that can compete on a global level, whether in Accra, Lagos, London, Paris, New York, or other international hubs. By developing a robust cultural export infrastructure, Ghana can maximize the economic and practical opportunities presented by its cultural influence.