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Kenteverse


The Kenteverse is a multifaceted Art, Design & Music project exploring Kente’s innate power to create. I’m primarily using sounds sampled from the loom during the weaving process to generate new Kente designs and experiences.

When I started this project, I thought I was merely observing and dissecting the anatomy of Kente. I wasn’t aware of the fact that I was peering into a whole universe, The Kenteverse. Sound & Rhythm drove me here, and they’ve been my main points of contact in understanding the numerous locations within this universe. Language, History & Fashion are just some of the areas I’ve gained access to during my time here.

+ Videos
+ Beats
+ SONX



+ Resources
+ Reez

Motivation


As a DJ, I am constantly interacting with numerous rhythms and tempos of all kinds. This interaction has always fueled my love to get intuned with several different songs from all over the world. From country music to Afrobeat. Further, constantly immersing myself in this music world, you realize how no two songs are the same. You could have the same tempo songs having totally different rhythms that serve entirely different purposes and cause different reactions.

As my curiosity grew, I began to search for rhythm in everyday encounters. From the horns of the Fan Ice bicycle to the songs, fishermen sing in Osu while fishing. I realized all these rhythms are super key to the end goal of the process being carried out. They either cause some extremely strenuous tasks to seem simple or even make things go faster. This has always seemed like magic to me, because you immediately realize how rhythm changes our perceptions of things.

Further, Kente, the woven traditional cloth of the Ashantis, which also happens to be my tribe, has so much meaning. Figuring out ways to see if this meaning can be extracted through rhythm is something I’m particularly excited about. Is there something innately stored in the making of this cloth? I want to know.
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October 19 2020