Bodo Staiger sad at Ghanaian highlife musicians

On 23rd October, 2013, Flex newspaper published a story headlined “GMA 2014 should honour Bodo Staiger,” a piece Bodo read far away in Germany; courtesy flexghana.com.

In the said story, I implored Charterhouse; organizers of Ghana Music Awards, to consider honouring Bodo Staiger GMA @ 15 come 2014 for his enormous contribution to Ghana's Highlife music industry.

Flex newspaper uploaded the story on our website – www.flexghana.com. Two days later, a Ghanaian musician residing in Germany called Flex Editor Samuel Atuobi Baah, commending him and the writer of the story.

The musician who is currently recording in Bodo Staiger's studio for his forthcoming album said he showed the story to Bodo and after Bodo read the story, he became crestfallen. He said Bodo Staiger was disappointed that even the Ghanaian musicians he has worked with, has never made such a call for him to be celebrated in any special way but a journalist who has never seen him or worked with him before, thought it of import to call for him to be honoured.

Bodo Staiger contributed his quota in the promotion of music of Ghanaian origin and deserves to be honoured. I still implore the Board and Academy of GMA to consider honouring Bodo come GMA @ 15 - 2014.

Conversely, our highlife musicians who have worked with Bodo Staiger before and appreciates his contribution to their career can come together and compose a congratulatory song to honour Bodo; just as some of our old hiplife musicians such as Tinny, Obrafour, Kwaw Kesse, Edem and co did for Hammer with a single track titled 'Yedaase Hammer' - literally, 'we thank you Hammer.'

The aforementioned musicians composed 'Yedaase Hammer' to congratulate or honour sound engineer extraordinaire Hammer for his assiduity and support for the hiplife music genre which Reggie Rockstone created. In another sense, our highlife musicians can collaborate with the Goethe Institute and stage a concert in honour of Bodo Staiger.

In 1988, Bodo Staiger founded Rheinklang Studios in Düsseldorf, where he recorded and mastered most Highlife songs composed by Ghanaian highlife musicians. He has been to Ghana on short visits a couple of times for important assignments.

Bodo Staiger recorded hit songs for Ghanaian highlife musicians such as ; Daddy Lumba, Nana Acheampong, Tagoe Sisters, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Ofori Amponsah, Oheneba Kissi, and others in the 80s and 90s.

As a highlife buff, I long to see Bodo Staiger, the white man who understands and records highlife music, better than some Ghanaian sound engineers and music producers.