Ashanti, an American R&B superstar, has announced plans to visit Ghana, West Africa, during the Christmas period.
She revealed this in an interview on New York’s Hot 97 radio programme: ‘Ebro in the Morning’.
Ashanti was talking about her brand-new book and what it has to do with her name when the visit came up.
“I’m super excited, I just released my first children’s book. It’s called: ‘My Name Is A Story’,” she told radio presenters Ebro and co-host Rosenberg. “I always wanted to write a children’s book.”
On the inspiration, for the book, she narrated: “I used to work in a day-care centre when I was in High School. So when I would sit them down and read them a story, it was crazy to me to see how it transcended and how they were so intrigued [by me] just reading so I always said I wanted to write a book.
“And with my name being so unique, I used to have issues growing up: sometimes it was hard for the teacher to pronounce my name or some of the kids if your name wasn’t Susanne or… So I wanted to do something to kind of encourage the kids to love the fact that they have a unique name and love the fact that it’s cool to be different, and [for] all the other kids to accept it. It’s cool to have a friend that might have a unique name – just because it’s not Jessica doesn’t mean it’s not cool.”
At this juncture, Ebro asked: “On your name have you had the chance to go to Ghana yet?”
The ‘Rain on Me’ hitmaker in response revealed she was supposed to travel to Ghana in 2019 during President Akufo-Addo’s ‘Year of Return’ initiative targeted at African diasporans.
“You know it’s crazy. I was supposed to go there, like three years ago but I broke my ankle and I was still ready to go. I was like, ‘I can still make it on a plane but…” she recalled bemoaning.
It was during the year of return and when I could not go, “I was so devastated,” Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas remarked and excitedly revealed: “But I think we are going back in December, I want to say.”
Ebro shared he is also coming to Ghana in December: “I’m only there for a couple of days, I don’t get to stay that long but you’re definitely flying to Accra and then you have to fly up to the north, to the Ashanti kingdom.”
“Yes, they want to do a presentation, it’s so dope, I want to go so bad,” Ashanti responded before Ebro came again with: “The whole thing and there are some people… I want to hook you up to the Ghanaian border tourism too… the Ashanti kingdom is beautiful, the people are amazing, it’ll be big, it’ll be huge. Huge for the country.”
Ashanti is known for international megahits such as ‘What’s Luv’, ‘Foolish’, ‘Always On Time, ‘Mesmerize’, and ‘Happy’ among others.
Currently, the 42-year-old is promoting her new single titled ‘Falling For You
