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Veteran Ghanaian broadcaster and renowned actor, Mikki Osei-Berko, has expressed concerns over the potential decline of Highlife music, a genre deeply rooted in Ghanaian culture. He emphasized the importance of preserving Highlife music during an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM.
Osei-Berko argued that highlife music, which originated in Ghana in the 19th century, is an essential part of the country’s cultural heritage. He urged his compatriots not to allow the distinctive genre to be usurped by the rising popularity of Afrobeats or any other music genres, comparing the situation to Jamaica’s protective stance towards reggae music.
“There is no culture without music and Ghana we have been so blessed with our kind of genre of music. Are we letting it die?” Osei-Berko asked. “Or are we letting people re-christen it and call it Afrobeats and lose it just like that?”
He urged Ghanaians to uphold highlife music, improve it, and grow it as a means of preserving the nation’s cultural identity. Despite the evolution and influence of highlife music on other music genres, cultural enthusiasts share Osei-Berko’s sentiment that the genre should not be supplanted or forgotten.
