Nigerians are still taking our sound and rebranding it as theirs - Abiana

Ghanaian highlife musician Abiana has raised concerns about the trend in which Nigerian musicians adopt aspects of Ghanaian music, repackage them, and achieve international acclaim without proper acknowledgment.

During an appearance on "The Day Show," hosted by Berla Mundi on TV3, Abiana delved into the challenges confronting the Ghanaian music industry, especially the perception of highlife and its potential on the global stage. Reflecting on the past, Abiana recalled times when Ghanaian acts were popular in Nigeria.

"Some time ago, we used to say highlife was something. We were thinking about the Tictacs in Nigeria with Tony Tetula," she recalled.

She pointed out that the influence of Ghanaian culture on Nigerian music has resulted in Ghanaian musical elements being rebranded by Nigerians and used to gain heightened success in the international market.

"Even the Nigerians are still taking our stuff and making it much bigger and naming it something else."

Abiana further stressed the importance of a collective effort to promote authentic Ghanaian highlife to a global audience. She advocated for artists to embrace the Ghanaian sound and work to push it internationally.

"Why then don’t we push ourselves and say highlife is our thing, so let’s just call ourselves highlife musicians, and then the rest will follow," she stated.

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