The University of Ghana (UG) has officially launched the 100 Years of Highlife Music in Ghana celebration, marking a century of the country’s most iconic musical genre.
The event, held under the theme “Highlife Unlimited — A Centenary Celebration of Ghanaian Popular Music,” was organised by lecturers from the Departments of Music and Theatre Arts, in collaboration with the Group d’Action pour le Développement Communautaire (GADEC) and the Institute of African Studies.
The year-long commemoration aims to explore the evolution, cultural impact, and global influence of Highlife while honouring the musicians and traditions that have sustained the genre over the past 100 years.
American ethnomusicologist Professor John Collins explained that Highlife music’s roots were not in colonial ballrooms but in the street rhythms of Ghana’s working-class communities of the 1920s. He revealed that the genre emerged from the creative fusion of brass band, guitar, and local rhythms performed by artisans, soldiers, and fishermen along the coast. The term “Highlife” was coined by those who gathered outside colonial dance halls, inspired by the music played inside.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Benjamin Amakye Boateng, Head of the Department of Music, described Highlife as “the heartbeat of Ghana’s cultural identity” and called for its preservation through research, documentation, and education to inspire future generations.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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