JOJO ABOT Empowers The God Within
New York, New York
JOJO ABOT
6/9/2020
Born in Ghana and based in Brooklyn, New York JOJO ABOT creates work that bridges the rich history of African culture with the unlimited possibilities of its future. The multimedia artist has shared her psychedelic mash up of music, art, and fashion with audiences worldwide and toured with other esteemed artists including Lauryn Hill.
You describe your music as “Afro-Hypno-Sonic” with the ability to trigger something in your listeners. I also notice you use Ewe prominently in your music. What element does that language contribute to your process and what is the significance of incorporating that in your work?
Ewe to me is honesty. It’s purity. It’s unobstructed truth because I feel as a language it’s so powerful. It’s an ancient, ancient, ancient language. Knowing its roots, how many spaces it's moved through, and its ancestry gives it a certain value in just the words themselves and the truths that the words are constructed off of. I offer that as respect and honor. Having the privilege of growing up as an Ewe in an environment where I could learn the language and work to maintain it has been an incredible gift. When I’m creating the truest, simplest, and most organic language that it comes through is in Ewe. Overall, I try to honor the truth of whatever comes so you’ll see that I may go from Ewe to English but it’s a language that I really respect.
The sonic resonance of the language itself provokes something because it’s ancient and it brings forth an ancient part of self. It calls forth a memory that goes beyond this lifetime regardless of where you’re from and that is something that is more powerful than me. It’s just truth and sincerity. It’s showing up as I am.
Have you been able to find a home in the digital space? What does the digital element provide for your work?
I feel like in a lot of ways I’m not comfortable with technology but my work is *laughs* heavily tech driven. I mean I was at New Inc for a year, which is a tech space. There’s always been this flirtation with technology and I think that directly connects with the digital space. With the evolution of my work I find that more and more we need to find a way to fuse culture, spirituality, and technology in order to keep it alive and keep it relevant and keep it accessible and sort of able to translate it into the language of our time which is technology based. It’s an urgent need. I feel like it’s challenging, the digital space. I feel it offers room for a lot of performance, pretense, cloaking, lies, grey areas...but also allows for the opportunity to amplify truth and that which is “positive”. That which is abundant. So it is a matter of perspective and intentions behind how we indulge these spaces and these things because ultimately we have to be accountable for ourselves and our impact in the world.
I have heard some say “People’s attention spans are really short. You should create content this way, you should create content that way” and it makes me wonder “Are we programming technology or is technology programming us?”. Humanity has to remember its place, create with intention and, never forget to be human even in the digital era. I use it to amplify but I am working to be as accountable in the process as possible.
You work in a way that is twofold; you’re archiving the past and creating the new. When it comes to working with sacred things like the Ewe language are you cautious or liberal with the way you utilize them?
Things that are sacred, things that are divine are not ours to use for our own personal gain. Now there are ways that you can benefit from these indulgences but you cannot lead with that which is based on greed and selfishness. We cannot move with hate, perversion or things that corrupt our spirit. Ultimately that’s up to the individual to decide. But in order to thrive, I know that I have to honor the things I call to myself and the things that ground my efforts as a human being. If I defile them they will defile me. If I starve them they will starve me. If I disrespect them they will disrespect me. It’s karmic and so whatever essence one is working with you have to feed it with the energy you hope to receive from it. That is what I aim to do.
As you take this work you create in the physical realm and transfer it to the digital, are there any expected or unexpected things that you see happen?
It’s all a boomerang. It’s energy cast forth and there are multiple languages for sharing energy. It can be music or art but when you put that in a digital space, quantifying how much impact this energy has can be difficult . It’s been an interesting process understanding the language but when you see aspects of yourself reflected in others whether it’s your literature, makeup style, sense of fashion, movement in the world that draws people to you, you understand that it’s still frequency and energy driven. So then technology and the digital space just becomes another field or realm within which to operate. That is why I feel like with the right intention cast forward you can have a lasting ripple effect. About ten years ago I said I wanted to be omnipresent and the digital space allows me to do that.
You represent yourself in various manifestations and use the way you dress yourself as a way to tie in to everything you do. It is your work-
-It’s my existence *laughs*
So I wanted to ask you, is it solely you expressing your own identity or in your continuous storytelling is it you expressing other characters and ideas beyond yourself?
I am all things and I am nothing. So thinking of myself as a sperm and an egg I was part of another human being that was a sperm and an egg that ate fish, goat, chicken, and grew from nature. Then it died, disintegrating into the soil only to become part of the plant that is eaten once again. I am everything and a reflection of all parts of life. I believe I am simply a reflection and affirmation of that which already is, which is the essence of Fyfya Woto.
Has working digitally affected your creative process?
I think it’s had an effect on the way I share the work that I create. I’m still creating but I’m not sharing. That is because I think people corrupt that which is created with good intention and as much as we try not to be the problem we become culture and energy vultures. We can't help it, especially in this influential digital era we live in. We easily corrupt things we indulge in without self education, awareness or mindfulness. That’s not to say that I’m innocent entirely but it’s to say that we should all be aware. We see and repeat things without considering their meaning because we think all these things are accessible to us. Let me address something that has been coming up for me: The black person being represented in the digital space is also something that’s urgent. We have a history of phobia when it comes to sharing information in the digital space due to fear for our safety, intimidation, limited education, and a lack of faith in and exposure to existing systems. Due to all of this and more we hesitate to put in correct information, fill out forms, and properly represent ourselves digitally. We don’t show up and feed our own digital identity. While I understand the premise of that, what happens in the absence of our input is someone else feeding our digital identity. Someone else inputs our numbers and our data, making assumptions and saying who we are for us. Often times we are unlike other people who are very comfortable with the digital space and know how to use and manipulate it to promote their agenda in showing up for themselves. So when you think about the digital identity of the black being it is still being told by other people. People who are still doing research about us. People who still run the hashtags. People who still own the archive who are very intentional, well planned and organized in their search for truths about our identity. History repeats itself to this day.
So what does it mean for us to have access if we’re not using it intentionally to represent ourselves in a time where we need to speak up in all the realms that exist? I was at the Adobe offices and they were showing us this program that allowed you to localize your platform. Basically you could go on the backend and switch over to a different language and it would translate your whole site to cater to that language and culture’s space or switch the designs around. It’s fed to do so, to respond. There were many languages represented but none from Africa. I wondered where the black diaspora or the African was being represented in these spaces that are leading our digital experience. How are we contributing to our ability to create and share information locally? How are we represented in these spaces? It causes you to be a little bit alarmed and feel a sense of urgency about daring to occupy spaces in which we may not initially feel comfortable or welcome. It is necessary for us to be present at these tables as decisions are being made that affect our daily digital functions and interactions in order for our unique needs to be met. Ownership is key. Freedom in the digital space is key. That takes us being really active from the bottom up. From a consumer level to the producer or creator level. Strategically positioning ourselves to benefit financially in the long term in an effort to create generational wealth.
We’ve all noticed the rise of Afrobeat and the popularity of that-
-It’s not Afrobeat, it’s AfrobeatS! There’s a difference. Please don’t ever make that mistake! Afrobeat is the sound of Fela Kuti which is the sound of black revolution and black resistance, ok? His mother died in the fight, he suffered for the cause. That is a specific sound and movement.
Afrobeats with an “Sssss” is of a different agenda and musical construct. The miseducation that they are one in the same that seems to be going around is an erasure of our identity which we are doing ourselves. When you google “afro beats” or hear people speak about it, it is difficult to tell the difference. We’re erasing something that is pivotal in our legacy when it comes to this Panafrican dream and this thought of black liberation. That message is what needs to be revived when we’re talking about anything related to Afrobeat. No one else is appropriating Jazz, putting an S on it and calling it a new genre. No one is taking reggae, putting an S on it and calling it a new genre because it corrupts the original intention of that which is sacred and we need to know that. and we have to know that so I’m actually glad you said that.
I’m glad you told me. As a child I never knew how to describe African music to other kids in school. Once it became popular here and took on the label “Afrobeats”, it seemed to be the most succinct way to identify it.
I think it’s a misrepresentation to some extent. I applaud all the efforts made by African artists and I’m proud of all of the progress that’s been made leading to greater acceptance in the Western world. That’s been a dream for many, however at what cost? In discussing digital representation it is being able to show up for ourselves by creating archives that actually honor us and our contributions to the evolution of global music. This new sound that you’re hearing is coming largely from where? West Africa, so it doesn't quite cover all that Africa has to offer. Even in West Africa it doesn't cover indigenous African sound. This is a heavily electronic sound. It’s a minimal, miniscule aspect of what we create. However, it could serve as a portal to education on what our culture was created on. I believe we especially need to note our contributions to drum patterns and polyrhythmic structure that serve as the basis for popular music today. It is urgent in this digital realm to be diligent in noting our specific arrangements and sonic structures it is important that when we do research on who we are to find information that comes from us. We can no longer afford to misrepresent, dilute or appropriate ourselves. We’re constantly creating and giving it to the rest of the world without keeping stock of our own evolution. So now when you do research there’s not a lot of information or the information that's created doesn’t come from us. Again we’re misrepresenting ourselves.
So to what end? If we’re misrepresenting ourselves or offering diluted versions of ourselves and we’re not pushing it forward. There are many people from Africa who feel ostracized within the diaspora due to a lack of inclusive representation. It is really an opportunity to push the culture in Africa. Now that the interest is there, it's time to take advantage of that and allow for more to come through so that people can understand the full breadth and diversity of who we are. We can no longer submit to caricatures of ourselves because that’s what is selling. It is time to practice digital accountability and integrity.
At the foundation of African culture is an inherent sense of community building, taking from where there is surplus and providing where there is none. This attitude differs a bit from what we see in the modern Western world. Why do you think that is and how do you see it evolving?
Things like music, fashion and art allow for us to reconnect the diaspora. Reimagine the black nation as a global nation. I really feel these things are frequencies that are calling people together and because it is time for us to gather. It’s time for us to get to know each other. It’s time for us to understand each other’s narratives. It’s time for us to understand that no one’s pain is greater than the other and it’s time for us to shut the fuck up and listen. It’s time for us to be ok with letting go of this identity grounded in pain and misery and allowing ourselves to be a joyful and happy people. We must understand that it is not only ok but necessary for us to show up in our beauty and confidence. Learning to show up without apology and be affirmed in our constant gathering with love and intention. Growing and understanding the diverse nature of the black being, the fluidity of the black being, the infinite nature of the black being and its ability to be broken down and reconstruct itself over and over again is her power. Once our ego is able to settle itself *laughs*.
I’m probably straying from your question but that’s what I was compelled to tell you. We’re at a time where we can’t lead with our pain anymore. We have to lead with our visions and our prayers and our true desires. Giving that intention and energy to multiply and amplify. We must occupy the digital, physical, all realms between and beyond without apology.
Are there any other things that you would like to share?
Power to the God Within. That’s all!
editing by Yung Fleur and JOJO ABOT
Photos and video courtesy of JOJO ABOT