''We Need Selfless Leadership '' - Rocky Dawuni ahead of December 7th

Rocky Dawuni at the GRAMMY Hall

Ghana’s first GRAMMY Nominee Rocky Dawuni, has been championing African and Ghanaian music to the international market, 

Rocky Dawuni recent lecture which was organized under the auspices of UCLA’s Department of Ethnomusicology truly signify Rocky's musical signature in African music.  

The lecture which was held at the Schoenberg Hall, which is the large auditorium in the Herb Alpert School of Music/Mo Ostin Music Center at UCLA, focused on the history of Ghanaian music and the contributions of Ghana’s first GRAMMY Nominee to the internationalization of the Ghanaian sound.

Nana Akufo Addo and John Mahama

Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary election is drawing closer and closer, tensions are growing higher and higher. Peace campaigns have been launched, discussed and addressed by public figures, politicians, civil groups and societies, actors, musicians etc.

The 2016 elections was originally been scheduled for 7 November 2016, but the date was later rejected by Parliament. The election date changed from December 7 to November 7 and back to December 7 after a Supreme Court ruling.

The GRAMMY Nominee, has voiced out a message of peace to his fellow Ghanaian's. Speaking to Sanatu Zambang, the Ghanaian singer and songwriter who performs his signature 'Afro Roots' sound which is a mixture of Reggae, Afrobeat, Highlife and soul music said;

‘’ As a Ghanaian, I felt the need to share some of my personal insights as we approach our elections. My plea to my fellow countrymen and women is that now more than any time in recent history we need strong and transformative leadership. When you look at the current global political landscape and its rising populist and nationalistic shifts; exemplified by Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in America we have to understand that our own success as a nation and as Africans would lie in our own hands and our ability to adapt to changing circumstances. There is an immediate need for us to strive towards self-sufficiency and align our collective aspirations towards upliftment of each other ’’. - Rocky Dawuni.

Born in 1969 and originally comes from the northern Yendi Dagbon region of Ghana. He grew up at Michel Camp Army Barracks near Accra, where his father was an army sergeant. Rocky Dawuni  further told Sanatu Zambang,

‘’  Ghana needs leadership that can rise beyond socio-political divisions to inspire and unify our country towards a common purpose. We need a leader that can also truly understand the renewed urgency of our responsibility to Africans on the continent and to our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. 

A need to aim towards achieving real continental unity in line with the vision of our founding fathers.

We need selfless leadership that can enact policy to grow our economy, tackle poverty, address the cancer of corruption and take advantage of modern scientific advancements to create equal opportunities for all Ghanaians. ‘’ -Rocky Dawuni.

With an easy-going charisma and reputation as a dedicated champion of social causes, Rocky Dawuni infectious grooves and dance-inducing anthems have consistently excited fans across the globe. Rocky Dawuni final words to Sanatu Zambang concerning the 2016 elections in Ghana was,

‘’ It is an achievement for every citizen of age to be blessed with the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote for the party of their choice but this exercise in democracy must in no way compromise the peace and stability of our dear nation and our enduring role as the beacon of African Democracy. In the long run, the ultimate prize of this process is that the PEOPLE of Ghana must collectively emerge the winner on Election Day.” - Rocky Dawuni.

Rocky Dawuni has been the spokesperson for various global causes. He has joined forces with Product (RED), UNICEF, the Carter Center, and the UN Foundation. He has worked on campaigns focused on Guinea worm eradication, environmental issues, women's health and education, HIV Aids advocacy, peace building and clean water.

In 2012, Dawuni was appointed the Tourism and Cultural Ambassador of Ghana and World Ambassador for the Musicians Union of Ghana. The same year, he was named a United Nations Foundation Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, an initiative launched by Hillary Clinton, alongside actress Julia Roberts and chef José Andrés.

Rocky  in 2013,   performed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCC) in Warsaw, Poland in front of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and delegates from around the world. 

Rocky Dawuni also has served on a Brookings Institute think tank on cultural diplomacy (Timbuktu Action Group) as part of the efforts to restore Mali's famed Festival Au Desert and was invited by Aegis Trust and the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center to Rwanda to meet the Minister of Youth and Culture and visit the Gihembe refugee camp in order to highlight Rwanda's shinning efforts to heal the wounds of the past.