From Ghana to Rwanda: Nana Tuffour Okai’s Cultural Research Journey Through Breaking and Traditional Heritage.
Ghanaian cultural researcher, African dance ambassador, and former PIPA Future Leaders Invitation Program alumni Nana Tuffour Okai, popularly known as Bboy Lyricx, travelled to Rwanda for an inspiring cultural exchange centred on dance, hip-hop, heritage and youth development.
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His journey to Kigali was more than a visit to participate in a festival. It became an opportunity to connect two dimensions of African culture—the contemporary global language of breaking and hip-hop, and the deeply rooted traditions, histories and community practices of Rwanda.
Contributing to Kigali Breaking Festival
During his time in Kigali, Bboy Lyricx took part in the Kigali Breaking Festival, contributing to the programme through dance education, cultural dialogue and documentary storytelling.
As a breaker and cultural practitioner, he facilitated breaking and hip-hop workshops, creating a space where young dancers could develop their movement vocabulary while also exploring the cultural history and social values behind hip-hop.
His contribution extended beyond the dance floor. He was also invited to speak at the festival conference, sharing perspectives on cultural research, African dance and the importance of documenting and preserving the stories behind street and urban dance cultures.
Screening Roots of the Culture
One of the significant moments of the visit was the screening of his documentary, Roots of the Culture.
The documentary reflects his interest in tracing the origins, development and cultural significance of hip-hop and breaking. Bringing the film to Rwanda created another layer of cultural exchange: a Ghanaian cultural practitioner sharing research and documentation with a Rwandan audience while simultaneously learning from Rwanda’s own cultural heritage.
For Lyricx, cultural research is not simply about looking into the past. It is also about creating conversations between generations, communities and African countries.
Learning Through Cultural Exchange
Perhaps one of the most memorable highlights of the journey was his visit to Indara Youth Community Centre.
The visit provided an opportunity to learn directly from young people and cultural practitioners and to gain a deeper understanding of Rwandan culture. Rather than approaching the journey only as an ambassador bringing knowledge from Ghana, Lyricx embraced the role of a cultural learner—listening, observing and experiencing.
That exchange reflects an important principle of cultural diplomacy: meaningful connection happens when people are willing not only to share their own traditions but also to learn from others.
Discovering Rwanda’s Ingoma Tradition
Among the cultural experiences was an encounter with Rwanda’s traditional Ingoma, or drums, and the traditions surrounding them.
In the Rwandan drumming tradition, an Umukaraza plays the Ingoma using Imirishyo—the drumsticks used to produce its powerful rhythms. A complete ensemble of 12 Ingoma is called an Umutagara.
The experience offered Lyricx an opportunity to appreciate how rhythm functions as a carrier of history, identity and community in Rwanda. It also created a fascinating connection with his own world of breaking and hip-hop, where rhythm, percussion, movement and communal expression are equally central.
From traditional drums to breakbeats, the forms may differ, but the cultural principle of rhythm bringing people together remains a powerful point of connection.
Building Bridges Through Dance
Bboy Lyricx’s Rwandan journey demonstrates how African dance can serve as a bridge between cultures.
His work brought together breaking, hip-hop, documentary filmmaking, cultural research and traditional heritage, creating a conversation that moved beyond borders. His workshops encouraged young dancers to engage with movement; his conference contribution opened dialogue around culture; and the screening of Roots of the Culture encouraged audiences to think about the histories behind contemporary dance.
At the same time, his experiences in Rwanda reminded him that cultural exchange is a two-way process.
The visit to Indaro Youth Community Centre and his exposure to the Ingoma tradition allowed him to return to his own cultural practice with new perspectives and a broader understanding of African creativity.
A Continuing Cultural Research Journey
For Nana Tuffour Okai, also known as Bboy Lyricx, the journey to Rwanda represents another chapter in an ongoing commitment to cultural research and African dance advocacy.
From the streets and dance spaces of Ghana to the cultural communities of Kigali, his journey illustrates how African artists and researchers can use movement, storytelling and documentation to connect people across the continent.
The experience at the Kigali Breaking Festival was therefore not simply about teaching breaking or presenting a documentary. It was about sharing, listening, researching and building cultural bridges.
And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of the journey: African culture is not a single story. It is a vast and evolving conversation—one in which the rhythms of the Ingoma, the energy of breaking, the voice of hip-hop and the experiences of young people can meet, speak to one another and create new possibilities for the future.