Let’s champion Highlife agenda or risk losing it to Nigerians – Dada Hafco

Ghanaian Highlife musician, Dada Hafco has called on all Ghanaians to own the Highlife genre as its roots are from the country.

In a Facebook post, the Dadabees Empire boss stressed the importance of laying claim to the origin off Highlife music and making the best out of it.

The ‘Yebewu nti’ hitmaker, who has been one of the most vocal Highlife crusaders, stated: “At the end of the day, we must all know we are at liberty to do whatever we want to do but there must be a conscious effort to throw light on what we can claim as ours.

“The South Africans do everything, but their light is still on Kwaito; the Nigerians now own afrobeat whether we like it or not. The Jamaicans, reggae/dance hall, the Americans hiphop/rnb. And we?”

He continued: “We need to start getting up and championing a cause that no one can take away from us (the highlife agenda). Else a time will come, the world will believe highlife originated from Nigeria and not Ghana. We must stand for something!”

His lengthy social media post, which was occasioned by the massive presence of Nigerian awardees at the just-ended Grammy Awards and its attendant commentaries by Ghanaians, clearly stated that Ghanaians do not cherish what they have.

He cited how Burnaboy, one of the awardees on the night, employed Highlife in one of his songs and engaging the services of a Ghanaian guitarist to help him achieve the required quality of Highlife sound.

“When Burna boy recorded his song 'Odogwu' which happens to be some of his earlier works that built him up before this Grammy feat, because he knew he wanted to make an authentic highlife music, he came all the way to employ the services of a Ghanaian guitarist, simply because he knew if he would have to delve deep into the genre, he can't do it without the help of a Ghanaian hand”.

“But ask yourself, those of us who own it, how deep do we go to get the best out of it?” he further questioned.