It was opened around the beginning of this year but the Drum & Bass
Kaffe near the Julikart Supermarket at Gbawe in Accra is slowly earning
a name as the place to check out live reggae music in the nation’s
capital.

The venue is owned by reggae artiste Melchizedek. He performs every Saturday with the resident band, Fire Wire, and says it is necessary to cultivate a focal point for reggae musicians and fans to meet and enjoy their favourite type of music.

The focal point for reggae in Accra sometime in the 1990s was the Afro-Caribbean Centre at Kokomlemle. It drew in the reggae lovers and music tourists to the live gigs of reggae acts like Consular Hayes, Mawuli Nukpese of Roots Anabo fame, the Black Empire Band and the SOZ Squad.

The Paradise Night Club at Osu became the reggae hub after the demise of the Afro-Caribbean Centre. The Akuma Village off the High Street in Accra also waded in as a haven for reggae lovers alongside the Wednesday night bashes on at the La Beach.

“Reggae is joyous music and it has a certain special pull when you hear it live. I’ve been aware of the need for reggae to have a place it can call its own and that was why I built the Drum & Bass Kaffe. Now we can soak in Jah riddims anytime we want.”

Black Santino, a popular reggae presentor on Vibe FM said reggae had not found a lasting home at any venue because programme organisers rented premises which were always taken away by the owners.

“Premises owners usually think they can take over programmes and run them as siccessfully as the idea originators but the efforts usually fail.” said

Santino. “It’s good that the Drum & Bass Kaffe owner is a reggae musician himself and keen to promote the music.
Last Saturday night at Drum & Bass, multi-instrumentalist Gawuta led the youthful Fire Wire band through a series of reggae classics as well as original material. Patrons danced and sang along to the tunes they knew, enjoying themselves as much as the musicians on the stage.

“We are planning for another day of live music in addition to Saturdays,” Melchizedek said. “We also have a very big collection of reggae music so the reggae lover is at home anytime with us".

A couple more reggae venues, according to insider sources, will open at Osu and Kaneshie very soon. Until they become fully functional, the Drum & Bass Kaffe at Gbawe will continue to be the destination for reggae lovers in the capital city.