The past few years have been a whirlwind for Lakeshia Ford, an entrepreneur of Jamaican heritage, who moved to Ghana to start Ford Communications, a boutique communications agency focused on connecting international companies to African markets. This December it is expected to pick up even more speed as she prepares to help spearhead the only Jamaican-themed party, PinexGinja, that will be part of Ghana’s Year of Return activities for the Christmas period.
This year, Ghana is commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans being brought to Jamestown, Virginia, from the shores of West Africa. This year, the country is expecting to welcome millions of visitors from the African Diaspora. And since the beginning of 2019, the country has embarked on an ambitious, international campaign to get the African Diaspora to travel to Ghana. Celebrities such as Cardi B, TI, Samuel L. Jackson, Deborah Cox, Steve Harvey, and Colin Kaepernick and others have gone, generating much publicity and interest.
It will culminate in end-of-year celebrations, and Jamaicans, not the group to be left out of anything, are involved via Ford and her team. Their event is endorsed by the Ghanaian government, and she is expecting this year’s iteration to make history.
“Living in Ghana for the past five years has taught me a number of things. One of them is that Jamaican culture has massive currency everywhere. And in West Africa, which has room for exponential growth, we knew that Jamaica had to be involved in such a momentous moment,” she said.
This year’s event, which will be held on December 24, will see Jamaica’s own DJ Franco, who is Ghanaian born, travelling to play along with UK superproducer Juls Baby, Vision DJ, and Maleek DJ from Ghana.
This year, the organisers aim to capture the essence of the Year of Return and connections facilitated by technology and social media in their event. Ford’s team itself represents connections consisting of Jamaicans Mark Beckford, Godfrey ‘Creg’ Campbell, and Ghanaians Selasie Fianyor and Benard Kayede.
“This year, we are all about connections, especially with that being the theme of the Year of Return. Our event is about encouraging travel to Africa and pushing Jamaican culture in Africa. We are doing that by bringing a piece of Jamaica and the diaspora back to the continent, with mad energy, vibes, music, great food, and art,” said Lakeshia Ford.
This is the second year that PinexGinja will be held, and Ford says that the party is part of the movement of Jamaican culture continuing to have an impact on people globally.
“I love my Jamaican culture, and I’m extremely proud. We have brought so much colour to the world, and I want to be an extension of that. I have been coming to Ghana since 2008 and living here for the past five years, and I can tell you that this is something Ghana will love. I think the different backgrounds of the people on our team ensures that we are bringing a fresh, but relatable experience to Ghana. Some people have never been to Africa, and some have never been to Jamaica. I want people to dream. When people step in the doors at PinexGinja, they will be taken to both worlds simultaneously,” Ford said.
PinexGinja is a destination-party experience curated by DXD Promotions and Ford Communications. The event is the ultimate merger of both Jamaican and Ghanaian cultures. PinexGinja will eventually take place in different cities, internationally.
For more information, go to pinexginja.com.