Shatta Wale’s ‘My Level’ is Afro-Dancehall; not Highlife – Musicologist

Many Ghanaians expressed shock when Shatta Wale’s banger, ‘My Level’ won the Highlife song of the Year at the expense of ‘proper’ Highlife songs at the just ended Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

Well, a famous UK-born musicologist, Professor John Collins has contended that song is not a Highlife and just like many Ghanaians, he’s equally surprised the song was put in that category in the first place for the VGMAs.

Speaking to Joy News’ Israel Laryea, Professor John Collins said even though ‘My Level’ has some highlife elements, it has a lot of other elements that tilt it away from the highlife genre.

He rather said he would describe it as Afro-Dancehall. He also said Kidi’s ‘Thunder’ and King Promise’s ‘CCTV’ are also not highlife music. He would rather call them Afro-pop.

The 20th VGMAs was marred by a free for all fight between Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy allegedly instigated by the former moments after the Bhim Nation president was declared the winner of the Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year.