Veteran musician, Naa Agyeman
Renowned veteran artiste, Naa Agyeman, has raised concerns about the current state of Highlife music.
In the Graphic Showbiz report, he emphasised that the music being produced by young musicians today is not genuine Highlife but rather a blend of Afrobeats and R&B.
According to him, some of the older musicians need to step in and educate the younger generation on the true essence of Highlife music.
“A lot goes into making a Highlife song. For the beats, we should hear the guitars, the percussion, the bass and other elements. The style of singing is even different. You cannot sound like a Nigerian doing Afrobeats and call it Highlife. Most of the songs being released lately by our young musicians are not Highlife,” he said.
Naa Agyeman pointed out that creating an authentic Highlife song requires a careful combination of elements such as guitars, percussion, bass, and unique vocal styles.
He highlighted that imitating Nigerian Afrobeats and labelling it as Highlife is not accurate and could dilute the essence of the genre.
To preserve the cultural heritage and identity that Highlife represents for Ghanaian musicians, Naa Agyeman suggests organizing workshops where seasoned artistes like himself, Amakye Dede, Daddy Lumba, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Amandzeba, Ben Brako, Oheneba Kissi, and Kojo Antwi can impart their knowledge to the younger generation.
By doing so, they believe that the authenticity of Highlife music can be safeguarded and brought back to its prominence.
“The young ones have a lot to learn from the likes of Amakye Dede, Daddy Lumba, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Amandzeba, Ben Brako, Oheneba Kissi, Kojo Antwi and myself.
“We are more than willing to teach them all they need to know about Highlife because it is what defines us as Ghanaian musicians,” he added.
Naa Agyeman further expressed his belief that Highlife is not entirely lost but is now carried forward by a limited number of artists like Kofi Kinaata, Akwaboah, and a few others.
He encouraged more young musicians to embrace Highlife to ensure its continuity and relevance in the contemporary music scene.
“If such forums are done on a regular basis with funding from the government, I believe our Highlife music can bounce back on its feet.
“Highlife is not dead to me just that we now have only a few musicians doing it and that is not the best to me. I can mention the likes of Kofi Kinaata, Akwaboah and just a few others doing Highlife. We should encourage more young musicians to get involved,” Naa Agyeman stated.
Born in Boamang Soko in the Ashanti Region, Naa Agyeman began his musical journey two decades ago. Throughout his career, he released albums such as "Araba" (2000), "Mr Ode" (2002), "Kwame Ahe" (2004), and "Kwahu Bepoe" (2006).
After a hiatus focusing on other endeavours, he made a comeback in 2019 with the album "Mmbaa Pe." His dedication to preserving Highlife reflects his commitment to the rich musical heritage of Ghana.
ADA/MA
