Veteran highlife musician George Jahraa has voiced his concerns regarding the categorization of older Ghanaian musicians under the term ‘Adaadamu,’ often used to describe old-school or classic hits in the country.
In a recent interview on Adom FM’s Entertainment Hall, the ‘Ashikele’ hitmaker expressed his dissatisfaction with the negative implications of this label, arguing that it undermines the contributions of iconic artists such as Amakye Dede and Nana Ampadu.
Citing Jamaica as a point of comparison, Jahraa noted that legends like Bob Marley are never labeled as “old musicians” in their homeland, regardless of the age of their music. He believes the Ghanaian music industry should adopt a similar mindset, celebrating the works of legendary artists rather than relegating them to specific playlists or designated days.
“I have been to Jamaica, and there is no way you’ll hear Bob Marley’s songs and have them tagged as old. How dare you say it’s an old song? How on earth will you call Amakye Dede and Ampadu old musicians? Why not play our songs regularly, instead of waiting for weekends to say it’s an ‘Adaadamu’ playlist?” Jahraa questioned.
He passionately called for a reevaluation of how veteran musicians are perceived, urging the industry to honor and respect their contributions akin to the respect afforded to Bob Marley in Jamaica.
“When you build a house, does the foundation become old in the future? No, it’s what holds the house together. Don’t wait until we die to play our songs… it shouldn’t be only on weekends,” he asserted, advocating for an end to the ‘Adaadamu’ label.
