Becoming Infamous with Irene – Ruby Growing up with Ghanaian immigrant parents, they were intentional about getting us involved in the Ghanaian community. We lived in Surrey, and back then, our classmates were mostly white, with just a sprinkle of Indian and Black students, so it wasn’t exactly buzzing with our culture. My late dad led us to the Ghana Union in London, where we started working on initiatives for young Ghanaians. The Ghana Union supported our efforts, and let’s just say… we didn’t hold back. We kicked things off with a fashion show, which naturally morphed into a rave. One event led to another, and before we knew it, we had earned our title as the “Sankofa Ladies” — club promoters, party planners, trendsetters. But these weren’t just any parties. Our events became platforms for young talent. DJs like PMP and 90 got their first real audience through our raves. We even took our shows to universities. At that time, it was the kind of thing that could have been covered by CNN International. Yeah… it was that big. There’s one story that still makes me laugh — and wince a little. Our parents were off in Ghana for amonth, and naturally, we thought, perfect timing for a huge house party the day they were leaving. Our parents, suspicious as ever, had the front door locked to try and stop us from any shenanigans. Did we care? Absolutely not. The party went ahead. And went ahead… big. So big, in fact, that the neighbours called the police. By the following morning, our little shindig was front-page news in the Croydon Advertiser. Yep, the “Sankofa Ladies” had officially gone infamous. We had to explain ourselves to the local MP who lived on our road. She was incredible, stepping in to help us sort things out with Scotland Yard and the council. The DJ’s equipment had even been seized — but after her intervention, Scotland Yard actually came to apologise. When our parents returned, it was time for the truth. That’s the only time in my life I remember Irene acknowledging that I was the older child. I was “voluntold” to lead the charge and confess everything. We laid it all out… and because we were honest, they forgave us. BECOMING with IRENE 8 The Birthday Journal
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