#KizombaThursday: How a Dance Craze Transformed Accra's Nightlife and Built Community

I started liking Kizomba on Thursdays after I regularly went for the Kizomba nights at Afrikiko in Accra, Ghana. Since I liked using social media (especially Twitter) and hashtags in general, I started to use #KizombaThursday as a hashtag more often. I was going to say religiously, but Kizomba is not a religion. Or wait, is it? People consistently dancing and listening to Kizomba on Thursday is something that can be termed as being done religiously? Okay. Across social media, particularly through these enthusiastic posts, Thursday nights in Accra has continued to be synonymous with the smooth, sensual rhythms of Kizomba dancing—a weekly tradition that did more than teach dance steps. It has engendered a community as well.

Cultural Fusion on the Dance Floor

Kizomba, originating from Angola, has found an unexpected home in Ghana through these Thursday nights, etc. Kizomba is a national heritage of Angola and means "party" in Kimbundu. This dance, its attendant classes/workshops and the dancing that follows the tutorials, occur all over the world, not just in African countries and places in Portugal. There's something powerful about an Angolan dance form becoming a weekly ritual in Ghana. It shows how African cultures can blend and create something beautiful together.

People in Ghana do not just learn dance steps— they learn about another African culture. The instructors also teach about the music's origins, the meaning behind the movements, and how Kizomba traveled from Angola to the world.

The Accidental Community Builder

All images and videos are from Kizomba Ghana

My #KizombaThursday posts tell the story of a cultural phenomenon that began almost by accident. I started going for these Thursday sessions as a way to try something new after work. One 2011 night in Afrikiko on a Thursday, they were playing and dancing to Kizomba and I was shockprised in a very good way.

It has become this massive movement where people from all walks of life connect at Afrikiko and other places.

A number of people have jumped onto this, and here are some user stories that reveal how transformative these nights have become.

The Shy Beginner's Transformation: "I walked into my first #KizombaThursday terrified of looking stupid. Six months later, I'm not only confident on the dance floor—I've met my closest friends here. We even have a WhatsApp group that plans weekend activities together" - @NanaAdjoa.

The Expat's Connection Point: David, an American software developer working in Accra, shared: "As an outsider, #KizombaThursday became my cultural immersion. Ghanaians were so welcoming, teaching me not just dance moves but about their culture. The event created this unique space where job titles and backgrounds didn't matter—only how well you could follow the rhythm."

The Business of Rhythm

The popularity of #KizombaThursday also created economic opportunities. Victor Ebo Anderson Jr., is known as the "Kizomba King" and a pioneer of Kizomba dance in Ghana. Affectionately called Ebo and a Fante just like myself, he is associated with Kizomba Ghana and events at Afrikiko. When I started getting to know him circa 2011/2012, he was working closely with a lady called Nana (who was a huge hit with Kizomba students, especially the men). Through their learning sessions, others learnt about Kizomba and started running their own classes and workshops all over Accra and other places in Ghana.

They have moved from teaching small classes of 5-10 people to booking corporate events, wedding dance preparations, and regular classes with 50+ people. Ebo and co have also done the same outside the regular weekly sessions.

Ralph Agyeman is a fellow Accra Konnect member like me. Ralph Boakye Agyeman aka Dance Chef Ralph, is a key figure in the Accra, Ghana, dance scene, specializing in Kizomba, Salsa, and Bachata. He is the founder of Dance Alive International LLC, which organizes weekly social dance events and lessons.
Sometime after covid-19 (2021), I realised that he was organizing Kizomba lessons at African Regent Hotel, one - yes, you guessed it right - Thursdays. The admins at Accra Konnect (GhanaThink members) decided to run some of the monthly Accra Konnect meetups to coincide with Ralph’s events. This is how I started going for #KizombaThursday sessions once again, apart from being conspicuously absent from those at Afrikiko alongside the Party Crew members post 2016.

I like to go for these sessions, not so much for the dancing, but for the music and atmosphere. Others have related reasons.  Thursday has become 1 of the busier nights for places that host these sessions. It has improved their business model.

More Than Dance: The Social Impact

What has made #KizombaThursday special is just the dancing—it was the community that formed around it. You see, the beautiful thing about #KizombaThursday isn't the perfect dancers—it's the laughter when someone messes up, the strangers helping each other learn, and the friendships that continue beyond the dance floor.

Regular attendees also began organizing themselves - with carpool systems for those coming from far distances, and especially after #KizombaThursdays ended past midnight. They also got together for dinner at different restaurants, etc. As more people joined, there were more intricate beginner sessions for newcomers who might feel intimidated with the various moves and styles that the pros like Ebo and Nana exhibited on the dance floor. 

When society took a different turn due to covid, #KizombaThursday embraced the new normal. When people couldn't meet in person, they moved #KizombaThursday to Zoom. It wasn't the same, but it. People would dance in their living rooms, sometimes with family members joining in. The knowledge that we were braving these challenges in these ways kept our community connected. I think the inability for us to meet often at Afrikiko and other places, made me eventually not yearn to physically join these sessions when Accra came back to lots of big physical gatherings in 2022. Since 2025, I have been hanging out with friends at Afrikiko mostly to coincide with #KizombaThursday nights, especially when I am in that side of town in Accra (Accra stay-by-plan, folks).

The Legacy Continues

What started as a simple dance night became proof that in our increasingly digital world, people still crave physical community. We just need the right rhythm to bring us together.

I continue to post several #KizombaThursday posts on Twitter (X) @Abocco & Facebook (Aulzenap) - especially after listening to Kizomba on Thursdays. So even when I am not participating in these Kizomba sessions on Thursdays in Accra, I am listening to some of my favorite #Kizomba #MusicWeDeyFeel songs. Out of sight, not out of mind. Social media brings this altogether, one post at a time, just as the Kizomba dance thrives with one step at a time.