On a humid Tuesday night in Accra, Zen Garden is alive with sound, movement and memory as Highlife melodies spill into the open air, drawing families, friends and office workers who sway long past midnight as if the weekend has come early. 

Under soft lights, the four young men of the Kwan Pa band strike layered guitar lines and lilting rhythms, their live performance pulling cheers and applause from a crowd visibly elated, white handkerchiefs twirling above heads as revellers dance, sing along and clink glasses between bites of food. 

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.