This week in Accra – our top 10 events

In an exclusive interview with Ruth-Ellen Davis, septuagenarian artist Ablade Glover discusses art in Ghana, how he creates his marvellous images and his plans for the futureFondly referred to as the grandfather of contemporary Ghanaian art, Ablade Glover is one of the most celebrated of Ghana’s present-day artists. If not the most. The vivid flecks of acrylic that fill his huge canvasses stir praise across the globe, their vibrant hues combining to form dazzling African scenes – scenes that Glover says are impossible to truly replicate. ‘The scenes I paint – the markets, the crowds – you can never wholly capture them because they are always changing,’ he explains, peering over his spectacles from behind a paper-strewn desk at the Artists Alliance gallery. ‘You can never finish painting them. My aim can only be to capture the tempo.’ And boy, does he. Up close, Glover’s paintings are a seemingly disordered mass of colourful slices and shapes, eye-catching and vibrant. It is only when the viewer steps back they are hit with the energy of a market; the sacred unity of mass prayer; a townscape of roofs illuminated to a vivid red by the beating African sun. Having wound down a prestigious academic career lecturing at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, the last few years have seen him realise another ambition: the creation of a beautiful space worthy of Ghana’s top artistic talent; a place for great artists to exhibit together and learn from each...

It's pretty relaxing, puffing on a pipe and hearing the bubbles rumble. Smoking a shisha has been trendy in Accra for a while now and is a is a chilled way to end a hectic day.   Here is Time Out Accra's list of outdoor venues to enjoy the shisha under the starry sky.   Shisha Lounge   Munch on brick-oven pizza and watch Osu at night, while smoking a shisha.   On a side street to Oxford, near Ring Road E roundabout, this is the always a happening shisha spot.    Consisting of an elegant outdoor eating area, an indoor bar (almost always with a DJ spinning some discs), and a delightfully rustic ‘tree house’, this place has carved its way into Ghanaian nightlife.    Address: 14th Lane, off Oxford Street, Osu, Accra, Ghana‬‬   Hours: Open daily from 6pm to very late   Lord of the Wings (Cantonments and East Legon)   With stylish decorated terraces complete with soft cushioned sofas, these spacious bar/restaurants in both Cantonments and East Legon, have it all.  A perfect spot for shisha-smoking on outside patios, for wings, beer and football or a quick bite.    Address: Fourth Circular Road, Cantonments, Accra + East Legon   Hours: Noon-11.30pm daily   Chase    This popular Labone eatery houses a sports bar and lounge, as well as a main restaurant with a teppanyaki bar. Their pleasant outdoor patio invites customers to sit back and exhale the sweet smoke from a shisha pipe.   Food in the café area starts from 7am with breakfast, and is open until late serving salads, fajitas,...

Step into many of the nightclubs in Ghana's cities and more often than not you'll be confronted with the throbbing beats and visceral energy of hiplife. A blend of hip hop, dancehall and reggae, hiplife has become a favourite of DJs and clubbers alike. But this wasn't always the case. Ghana's musical map was once dominated by highlife - a genre so diverse it managed to not just survive western influence, but incorporate the disparate styles imported to the country over centuries to produce an effervescent sound which reflects the vibrancy of Ghana itself. Although still popular in Ghana, it's also a genre which is being championed by music lovers far from the former Gold Coast, predominantly the boss of UK based record label, Soundway - Miles Cleret. 'Highlife is a real mirror of the 20th century in terms of music. There are a lot of different modern music forms that came out of this era, and highlife is one of them. It's a real mish-mash of everything,' said Miles, who has managed to capture a snapshot of the scene on Soundway's recent release, Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blues 1968-81. 'The roots of highlife are a collage of music, from traditional African music to colonial marching band music, to hymn singing and church music. And as the century went on it absorbed different influences from around the world. So it's got a bit of jazz, a bit of swing, it's got a bit of blues, it's got a bit of Latin music. Then as things go on in the 1960s...

Firefly is a confident nightspot – the industrial chic of its whitewashed brickwork, dim lighting and edgy beats attracts a preened international clientele. A backlit bar glows with premium blends, with cocktail aficionados, spirit lovers and wine drinkers alike pull up stools to confer with chatty staff who sport braces and the odd jauntily angled hat.

Located in the hip, creative, and entrepreneurial enclave around Osu Ako Adjei Park is an oldcolonial-style building that is seeing a rather flamboyant new lease on life in the form of Little Havana: Ghana and West Africa’s first Afro-Latino inspired street-food style restaurant and bar. By maintaining the building’s original wooden shutters and art deco detailing, and adding decadent chandeliers, charming vintage furniture, and vibrant eclectic décor, Little Havana’s founder and designer Marcus Morgan-Etty (of Santoku, The View, and Burger & Relish fame) has evoked the extravagant days of the Cuban capital’s pre-revolution era. Together with its mouth-watering menu, this exciting new spot offers upbeat Afro-Cuban and Latino music, carefully crafted premium rum cocktails, and energetic service, all of which adds up to a fresh and honest alternative to Accra’s swanky high-end social scene. Looking strikingly similar to Jon Favreau’s lead character in the 2014 movie “Chef” as he bustles about the kitchen making a Cuban sandwich, Marcus enthusiastically explains, “Latino food is bursting with flavour and fresh ingredients, and has very strong crossovers with Ghanaian dishes. In designing the Little Havana menu I’ve taken inspiration from classic Cuban and Latino recipes and ingredients, but sourced everything from local producers here in Ghana.” The result of this Afro-Latino connection is unique, but comforting soul food. Everything is gourmetquality , but served in a casual...