- Adane Best decries neglect of highlife music
- Ghanaian musicians undervalue highlife, says Adane Best
- Highlife evolves into Afropop, artists claim
Ghanaian highlife singer Adane Best, renowned for his vibrant Ga melodies, has expressed his discontent regarding the perceived disrespect and lack of recognition for the highlife genre within the country. He lamented that many Ghanaian musicians no longer value highlife, despite its significance as the foundation of Ghanaian music.
In a recent interview with Mike 2 on Adom FM’s Entertainment Hall show, Adane Best highlighted the irony that while highlife is often dismissed at home, it is being embraced and evolved by musicians outside of Ghana.
“We condemn highlife, and now people have taken it and are using it well. We need to recognize that it’s ours. While we can’t play it exactly like in the past, we can improve on it. But the way we condemn and make highlife seem useless is what bothers me,” he stated.
He acknowledged that younger musicians are still engaged with highlife but have adapted its sound to meet contemporary preferences. “Nowadays, the kids are playing highlife, but they’ve improved it. It’s only the name that has changed. Now, they call it Afropop,” he explained.
Supporting Adane Best’s perspective, fellow musician George Jahraa, who joined him on the show, noted that the evolution of genre names is common in music history. “Reggae used to be called Ska, now we have dancehall and Ragga. It’s just a name change, but the pattern remains the same,” Jahraa remarked during the discussion.
