With just a couple of weeks left until Global Citizen Festival: Accra, we can’t hold back the excitement as we anticipate all of the epic performances that will rock Ghana on Sept. 24 at Black Star Square.
As one of the headliners this year, Stonebwoy is ready to show the world what he’s made of, and showcase why he’s such an important part of the Global Citizen movement.
With his star continuing to rise thanks to his collaborations with several big-name artists such Keri Hilson, Sean Paul, Beanie Man, and loads more, Ghanaian singer-songwriter Stonebwoy deserves his spot on this year's lineup of performers at Global Citizen Festival: Accra — a lineup of Black excellence that includes Usher, Gyakie, Sarkodie, Stormzy, SZA, and TEMS.
This year’s festival in Accra forms part of our End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign, and also builds upon Global Citizen's continued expansion of our pan-African movement — with recent festivals staged in South Africa and Nigeria. On Sept. 24 we’ll be bringing together a movement of world leaders, activists, business leaders, philanthropists, and Global Citizens to take action for girls, for the planet, and to create change. You can learn more about Global Citizen Festival, the campaign, and Global Citizen's impact by reading our explainer.
Ever wondered who Stonebwoy is or where he came from? We’ve got you covered. Let's explore together everything there is to know about him and why he’s an incredible Global Citizen.
Who Is Stonebwoy?
Livingstone Etse Satekla, known as Stonebwoy, is a popular Ghanaian reggae and dancehall musician and record producer. Stonebwoy, whose name is pronounced "stone boy”, was born in Ashaiman, a suburb of Ghana’s capital Accra.
He began writing songs in elementary school. He recalls composing and acting in theater pieces as far back as the fourth year of primary school when he first understood his strengths and talents as a lyricist and scriptwriter. Stonebwoy caught the attention of the reggae and dancehall community with his single “Unconditional Love”, which was released in 2011.
The song created a lot of buzz in the African music industry as it topped charts across countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, and even swept several awards at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. Since then, his music career has evolved immensely with hits like “Like Sugar”, “Chuddy”, “Bubble”, “On the Road”, “Joy”, and “Stonebwoy Squat”. He is currently signed with BMG Records in North America, where he released his debut album Glorious in 2015.
Why Is Stonebwoy a Global Citizen?
It’s important for African art, culture, and music to be catapulted to the global stage so that the world can shake off its preconceptions of Africa being a place that’s defined by poverty.
Africa is a place of opportunity, potential, and growth, and Stonebwoy and Ghanaian artists like him have not only shown the world what to look forward to when African talent is invested in — but they have also shown Africa, and in particular, African youth, what is possible despite being limited by western perceptions. For instance, Stonebwoy, acclaimed as the King of Reggae and Dancehall in Africa, won the best International Act Africa category at the 2015 BET Awards.
More than this, the King of Reggae and Dancehall is all about giving back to the community, as aside from being a musician and actor, Stonebwoy is Ghana’s global sanitation ambassador.
Despite Ghana’s national sanitation campaign, the issue of poor sanitation in the country still remains. According to World Vision, only 15% of Ghanaians have access to sanitation facilities and services, while the rest are left without the basic human right and are exposed to the inevitable consequences that can include disease and poor health, as well as community degradation.
Global Citizens like Stonebwoy have a strong voice and can challenge the youth to be sanitation ambassadors wherever they find themselves, as well as help to keep leaders accountable to providing access to sanitation for those who need it most. It’s no wonder that the artist is Ghana’s celebrated sanitation activist.
Stonebwoy was announced as the global ambassador for sanitation in September 2019, by the Office of the Ghanaian Presidency. In an Instagram post following the announcement, the artist said: “Grateful to the people of Ghana for deeming me worthy of helping drive the agenda of plastic and waste management.”
Recently, in the build up to his annual “Ashaiman to the World Festival” — which took place from Sept. 1 to 3 — Stonebwoy led residents of Ashaiman on a clean up exercise, where he and community members cleared blocked drains.
In a now viral video shared on Instagram, Stonebwoy was seen in a gray jumpsuit, white tee, and wellington boots cleaning drainage with a shovel. Residents of Ashaiman hailed the Dancehall giant for helping clean the blocked drainages — especially as they can be a cause of severe flooding in the area.
His Music and Collaborations
Stonebwoy’s music has been described as a refreshing blend of reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, and pop. He has collaborated with several big-name artists in the music industry such as Nicki Minaj, M.I, Sean Paul, Rihanna, and Akon. His songs are unbelievably catchy and fun to dance to and come highly recommended if you ever get the chance to see him live (like at Global Citizen Festival: Accra)!
How Do I Get Tickets to Global Citizen Festival: Accra
This year’s Global Citizen Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Black Star Square in Accra — with a twin event happening in New York City on the same day. The best part is you don’t buy tickets to go to the festival — you earn your ticket by taking action on our platform, including actions focused on empowering girls and women; breaking systemic barriers that keep people in poverty; and taking climate action. Find out more about how to earn tickets to Global Citizen Festival: Accra, in our FAQs here.
So make sure to mark your calendars, take action, and get your tickets now so that you don’t miss out on seeing Stonebwoy and everyone else on the Global Citizen Festival: Accra lineup!
Global Citizen Festival is calling on world leaders, corporations, and philanthropists to do more than they’ve ever done before to End Extreme Poverty NOW. Through our global campaign and with stages in two iconic locations — NYC’s Central Park and Accra’s Black Star Square — we will unite leaders, artists, activists, and Global Citizens around the world on Sept. 24 to achieve an ambitious policy agenda focused on empowering girls and women, taking climate action, breaking systemic barriers, and lifting up activists and advocates. Wherever you are in the world, you can join the campaign and take action right now bydownloading the Global Citizen app.
