CLUBBING IN ACCRA

A nightclub also known as a discotheque, or simply a club or disco is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night. A nightclub is generally distinguished from bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of a dance floor and a DJ booth. Most people have the notion that Ghanaians don’t leave their homes at night so city nightlife would completely be nonexistent. The second chapter on my blog is about clubbing in Accra. The dancing, drinking, and meeting up other people are just a few of the wonderful pleasure of going out and cutting loose. You have no idea how many times I have heard of people not getting into clubs because of their age, dress code and guest list. This is used to make their status as a nightclub more ‘exclusive’. Most nightclubs have a team of security men also known as Bobbies or bouncers. They have the power to remove people from club. The team would only intervene or ask for the removal if the clubber is extremely drunk, physically ill, breaking club rules, or hurting /abusing other clubbers, they also ask people to leave once the club closes.

With direct flights from New York, London, and Washington, D.C, Accra, Ghana is a thriving, trending city bustling with nightclubs. A lot of nightclubs are scattered in Accra among these are Aphrodisiac, Epo’s, Rhapsody, Citizen Kofi, His Majesty’s Nightclub and casmo, Joker’s Nightclub, Shaka Zulu Nightclub, Duplex Nightclub, Vienna City Nightclub, Paddy’s Nightclub, Boomerang Nightclub and many more.

Among the various clubs I have already elaborated, I would like to pick one and elaborate on it. Aphrodisiac opened 23rd December 2004, and has been one of Accra’s most exclusive night clubs ever since. Some of its most famous guests include Stevie Wonder, Jay_Z , Akon and a host of others. Confidence Haugen owns it and is located at Osu Badu St, Airport Residential, and Accra.

 The clubs in Accra are fairly spacious. A typical night out begins around 11pm with pre-gaming. Most drinks in the clubs are similarly more expensive than on roadside bars, Mixed drinks like Vodka, Gin Rum, Whisky and Requila , Moet, Remi Martin and all kinds of drinks are available but to my observation is rare to see people drinking  mixed drinks.

The music in clubs is about 70% local music, Ghanaian and Nigerian hits , either live bands or, more commonly, a mix of songs played by a DJ through a powerful PA system. Most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres. Even though the music is completely unfamiliar, it’s not difficult to blend right in since the beats and rhythms are just like the hip hop and R&B’s hits played in US and the UK..