Ghanaians please make music and call it whatever.. It took Nigerians over 10 years to build up the afrobeats genre and take it to the level that it is today... Nigerians have invested heavily in their music and produce a minimum of 10 new afrobeats superstars every year.. Now the world is paying attention and opening doors for other African sounds.. The billboard afrobeats charts and the UK afrobeats chart didn't happen over night nor did it happen because of political pressure.. If you want the world to recognize a hiplife charts or a highlife charts, put in the amount of work and investment Nigerians have put in and perhaps you will get the same recognition..In the meantime, be happy if you are even recognized under the afrobeats genre because before now you weren't even recognized..
They know that this topic is stupid, they just need views. How do you get views in Africa? Get a lot of people to view. How do you get people to view? Look for where you have a lot of people, and make them watch…. How do you make them watch? Talk about them in a underhanded way. Good business plan actually.
@@hrhi2874 They're very stupid.The lazy fools might get views for the few coins they make out of it but not the dedicated subscribers they would have gotten, if they were making wholesome contents.
Afrobeat/Afrobeats is Nigerian and Nigerians individually pushed for everything they have including the billboards recognition, y'all should be grateful for getting recognised in the music scene, go create something for yourselves and leave Nigerians in peace.
They will never listen to you. Ghanaians get by off copying people and clinging to other cultures for clout. This is why they always try to link themselves to Nigeria 🇳🇬 and Jamaica 🇯🇲
Ghanaians are cool with their top artist singing like other countries like Jamaican, sarkodie singing hip-hop rap in America, The only problem Ghanaians have with Afrobeats is the fact that it is linked to Nigeria. If Afrobeats was linked to another country they will boldly front it. But they are not comfortable with the country it is associated with
So true bro but do we Nigerians fuckin care about if they front it or not, all we know is that Nigerian artists are already gone and and they can't meet us either
@@Southernview3k it’s your time enjoy it. Gone are he days Nigerian artist chase Ghanaian artists for collabs. When they pay gh artists to perform in naija. When they were doing highlife music. Days of tony tetuila, danfo Driver’s and so on. Music is time. Nigerians are doing well with afrobeat and we hail that.
Afrobeats originated in Nigeria 🇳🇬 that is why Afrobeats is not Organic in Ghana 🇬🇭, as it's in Nigeria 🇳🇬. Afrobeats is Organic in Nigeria 🇳🇬 because that's where Afrobeats originated from.
Dw done a documentary on afrobeat and even they said it started in Nigeria 🇳🇬 and highly influenced the Ghanaians lool you need a white man to be impartial because he will tell the truth, they even did another documentary on fela kuti and said the same thing. It’s only Ghanaians and other Africans who are jealous who claim Afrobeats was made by them lol Ghanaians are really trying pathetic
You guys should know that the word afrobeats is coined to give other African genres an opportunity to be heard. 99.9% of record breaking and viral songs out of Africa is Nigerian
@@vamoneygroup LMAO. if you understand JUJU music or Fuji music from Nigeria or traditional folk music from Nigeria, you wont open your mouth waah and term Afrobeat such. You hear talking drums for your reggaeton & Dancehall. Afrobeat in its purest form is FELA AND THE KUTI family music. Go and listen and come back. The mainstream form of it is a collection of everything with AFRO origin from makossa, ndombolo, fuji, amapiano, juju, eastern nigerian music to hausa music and lots more.
@@denatora7142 But even the original Afrobeat was influenced by Reggae, and is nothing compared to modern Afrobeats, which has high influenced of Dancehall, Hip Hop, etc
Ghana has a blatant hatred for Nigeria's success. The only reason why Ghana has issues with Afrobeats is bcos Nigeria created and took it global. Stoneboy was even hating on TikTok bcos Nigerians use it to shine their music. They had an opportunity in France before a live T.V to be proud of Africa's musical success courtesy of Afrobeats but went on a criticizing rampage.... what a shame!!!
Don't hate on Nigeria, that's what they call Nigerian soft power... If u don't like it don't hate... But be creative... I come in peace. Highlight is dead and gone now...
There are more Nigerian talents on the way: Nigeria has 220 million people. Nigeria's massive population comes with 280 Tribes or cultural groups, and each tribe have their own distinct language, food, attire, music and rhythm, farming methods, burial ritual, marriage ceremony, different method of paying respect to the elders, etc. The diversity of Nigeria actually helps our Afrobeat because, sometimes, musicians like to introduce elements of their tribal music. In some cases, you can actually distinguish between Afrobeat of artist from Eastern Nigeria and Western Nigeria. This is why Afrobeat music of non Nigerian artists sounds unoriginal, stiff and mechanical. They lack Nigeria's tribal texture.
All nice but Nigerian Music succes started in 2008. Yet go watch the history of Rumba. Go listen to the Rumba back in 60s up until the 2020s. This country 🇨🇩 influenced the sounds of different countries that you hear today whether it is in Africa or Americas
I don’t think Afrobeats have any highlife in it. It’s more of a combination of Nigeria Fuji music,fela afrobeat, Nigeria juju music,and more importantly switching lyrics from Queens English to Nigerian Pidgin English. It’s when the new generation Nigerian artist started writing all kinds of songs in pidgin English that they renamed fela’s afrobeat as afrobeats. The genre was not rename by any DJ in the UK. Yes afrobeats is a genre created by naija modern day musicians incorporating much of fela afrobeat sounds but with songs written in Nigerian Pidgin English. It’s not a lump up thing.
Lol...Fela also wrote songs in pidgin na... You tend to be capitalising on the fact that afrobeats singers write in pidgin as the distinguishing factor
And fela didn’t do highlife? Lol. When he was rediscovering his musical journey after from London it was in Ghana he came to learn about highlife and went back to Nigeria and started doing highlife. Brought a few Ghanaian highlife artists to naija to learn a lot from. So at a point he incorporated highlife into his sound and make it wholly.
@@swaggst And so what he came to Ghana to learn, does that mean that was all he did? Is ojuelegba by wizkid under Ghana highlife? Is YE by Burns boy highlife? Is Esence high life?
@@MajorrBison a healthy conversation doesn’t have a response to ‘ and so what? Go learn the elements of music and come back and speak. 2face had said it. Perruzi producing davidos earlier tracks confirmed the infusion of highlife into the Afro beats. Just do research
Highlife isn’t a Ghanaian genre but a Liberian 🇱🇷 and Sierra Leonian 🇸🇱 genre. It’s called palmwine music 🎵 in both countries. Ghanaians cannot lay claim to that genre.☝️
Mr James, you are absolutely write about the origin of the West African Highlife Music, which Ghanaians always falsely claim ownership. The West African highlife got its origins from the Caribbean calypso and other genres that were heavily on guitars and instruments which found its way into West Africa through the Liberian corridor. In colonial era the Americo-Liberian population in and around Monrovia with their acquired Euro-American tastes embellished and popularized this genre of music called the West African Highlife and other brass-band music similar to what was in vogue in New Orleans and other places in America which the Americo-Liberians were exposed to. Of course with the passage of time other West African countries adopted this form of music while incorporating their various local or traditional music content which accounts for the uniqueness and diversity in the Highlife played across the West African sub-Region. So sometimes I find it very difficult to understand why Ghanaians debate over things they barely know about. Most of the people who make bogus claims about highlife originating in Ghana simply don't know any history. For those old enough to remember, urban life in Accra and most of the coastal Ghana were heavily influenced by the returnee freed African slaves from Brazil, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Caribbean most of whom were of Yoruba extraction. Any knowledgeable Ghanaian will recall that both in precolonial and postcolonial Ghana, there use to be suburban areas called Lagos town, or Anago town as well as Kru town or Liberian town and several others. Their influence was felt in every aspects of the Ghanaian urban life. Even after independence in 1957, the descendants of these returnees and later migrants from Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone continued to exert great influence on the Ghanaian urban life especially in and around Accra or the Greater Accra region, and there is no denying that this was why in 1971 the regime of Busia, passed the Alien Repatriation or Deportation decree, resulting in the violent expulsion of predominantly people of Nigerian extraction were many had their legitimate businesses and properties looted and confiscated by Ghanaians. Many Ghanaians today don't know about these things because they were born decades after and the few who were alive and witnessed these events don't talk about them. It's just unfortunate that today the Internet has given so many idiots and illiterates the platform to parade their lunacy and twisted views
First off, highlife is simply west african rythms fused with guiter and other European istruments.. It is all about evolution.. African music has been evolving from the days of folk songs.. If Ghanaians decide to stop the evolution of their music at highlife, then it is fine too as long as they are able to get the world to rock along with them.. Secondly, the most important thing is that we are able to get our music and culture across to the rest of the world.. The success of Nigerian music has brought an incredible level of pride and respect to Africans globally.
Ghanaians should try and create their own genre of music/sound and stop trying to differentiate between Afrobeat and Afrobeats. South Africa created Amapiano, Cameroon created Makossa, Congo/Tanzania are adopted Makossa too. Ghana copying dancehall which is Jamaican's genre isn't good.
afrobeat or afrobeats oo..all Nigeria. u guys can try to sound like the Nigerians but still the different is there. Nigeria has no competitors in Africa music. my fellow Nigerians please leave this Ghanaians to continue making noise . They are used to that. Them making noise and we making money .
Where do you people get these dubious stories from? Fela Kuti’s original band was formed in London and it was called Koola Lobitos! Ghanaians need to know that while highlife music originated in Ghana, there were fully fledged highlife bands in Nigeria who nigerianised their own sound, and threw up serious musicians who held their own to the fullest! Victor Olaiya, Roy Chicago, Zeal Onyia, Inyang Henshaw, Rex Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, Bobby Benson and many more! Fela Kuti did “marry” elements of highlife with Jazz, Funk, and traditional Yoruba music to create Afrobeat!! And one of the pundits was right! Music evolves!
@@8674k Behave!!! Ebo Taylor met Fela in London and they had jamming sessions! Fela had studied music at the Trinity College of music in London and was already burning up London with Koola Lobitos band!
@@aframaco9491 th-cam.com/video/SVKXweeVdo4/w-d-xo.html Not true. They met in Ghana. You know fela lived in Ghana for so many years before our independence. Thus highlife songs have been in existence way long even in colonial times
I laugh at you GH. Did you guys see how Nigeria is fine turning Amapiano with different beats ( Afrobeat)? These are creative and nobody bothered at pointing out fingers in Nigeria.
This, Nigerians don’t bother with all these shalaye, or talk, we just create great music, adjust when we need to, take inspiration from anything and move.
They even stole our naija phrase.. Some Ghanaians be saying Ghana no dey carry last. Ghanaians can steal and copy us Nigerians. They can never be original
What do you mean stolen? The palm Wine music is the same thing we call it in Nigeria back in the days. It’s called Tombo music and Tombo means palm wine in Nigeria pidgin English. So what are you talking about?
@@godsanointed3397 that’s exactly what Nigerians know how to do best. Claiming everything good from the west based on say they’re the giant. A giant in clay sands .
Nigerians are giving some people sleepless 🌙 Night.up Nigeria. Everybody wants to belong when Nigeria is winning. You can't be Nigerian when you are not one of us ,Everybody has his country
I don't understand all this arguments African unity is power separation is division whatever the music is named doesn't matter at all non African call it just like that ,since it comes from African all black race all over the world are proud of this development . Sometime I get shame of myself how we argue or discuss unnecessary issues.
The Dj did not start any afrobeats movement and Beyoncé tapped in African music because her movie Afrobeat is a music genre that involves the combination of elements of West African musical styles such as fuji music and highlife with American jazz and later soul and funk influences You people should stop this only highlife thing No be highlife
That DJ Abrantie was promoting Azonto in UK for Ghanaian music industry and he has nothing to do with Afrobeats in UK. The Nigerian media in the UK were the ones promoted Afrobeats and pushing it till today. DJ Abrantie was promoting Ghanaian music in the UK the time Azonto became popular.
You guys are just confusing yourselves the more, Afrobeats with s' or not is inconsequential, there was never a genre for African songs in the international market before now that is globally excepted. We have pushed Afrobeats globally, you guys should just be creative and use the platform to announce other African genre and not these things you are wasting your time on.
See stress u are all going through to describe a music genre... Afrobeat and afrobeats... We do not own the world music chats and the world doesn't owe us a music chat... The Europeans lump everything from the Caribbean as reggae, everything from Africa as afrobeat... It's for ease of grading... Only an African chat can distinguish between all our different African Genres... You all need to stop spending energy trying to differentiate music tastes.... Afrobeats is an opportunity for Africans to own their craft, but you all try so hard to show a disunited front... Sarkodie would remind everyone that he is a hip hop artist... Hip hop is owned by the Americans... U would always be an outsider as long as you aren't an American... In the end, your problem is Nigeria... You just wait till we get our country working... Una all go get heart attack
Bros! Take it easy you're too emotional as a Ghanian. This is why a lot of Nigerians thinks Ghanians are jealous. First, you made a mistake that Afrobeat by Fela has Fuji in it. Again, you said Fela is smart to tap from hi-life. Hmmm!!! Please go and listen to Fela songs. Purely jazz mixed and local beats. A lot of misinformation here aebg ooo! Biafra! How did it affect this conversation. In Nigeria, we have a lot sounds like Fuji, Traditional hi-life from the eastern and southern parts in Nigeria. So, Afrobeat is an inspiration of both Fela sounds and complementary sounds in Nigeria. With respect, African music has there own genres. Indeed, the world wants to know which genre of Africa music will be accepted in the world. For me I won't blame the whites for this. Look at Flavour songs is often an Eastern traditional music. So, let's get it right. Promote your own and celebrate what's good.
th-cam.com/video/19SLUVaOfCs/w-d-xo.html He studied in Ghana and lived in Ghana for so many years. When we tell you lot something humble yourself and take it in. Fela learnt from Ebo Taylor in ghana. Research his music
Your 3 biggest artists in Ghana Shatta is doing dancehall, stoneboy is rap , sarkodie is rap some of your artists sound like reggae artists what is Ghanas sound of music, is it rap or dancehall your artists go outside your country and they are doing Dancehall or rap , rap is American music , dancehall is Jamaican sound what is stopping Ghanaians from taking their music to the world you keep talking about Nigeria music
Interesting talk! A kenyan here and I give Nigerians their flowers for their investment in Afrobeats and support their people have shown to the genre. The ripple effect was other african countries started to pay attention in the 2010s and now worldwide. All these youre discussing is more like politics. You see, way before nigerians started to dominate musically, Congolese(lingala, South africa(kwaito) and kenyan(genge-2000s)& Tanzanian Bongo music dominated their respective regions. But what failed to sustain these industries to african and world dominance? Try find an answer for this Nigerians seem to want it more, however I believe their media played a big part eg playing 90% local music hence a vibrant Music scene.
Ghanians, Kenyans and Tanzanians should find a way to make their sound stand out if they haven't already. The next obvious step is more music + more marketing. Nigeria and South Africa seem to have crack the code
Pls guys don't be confused. Nigerians refer to their style of music as Afrobeats. We do it in several methods: Afro-pop, afro-highlife, afro-dancehall, afro-raggae, agro-gospel etc. Hope you get it now!
This was why I didn't like the Kelvyn boy - down flat song added to the pioneering Afrobeats top 50 billboards countdown list. Who ever did that has started a future war and now Ghanaians are going to be laying claim to Afrobeats like they even understand the spirit behind it. And just because Bob Marley spent a good part of his life in the USA doesn't mean reggae music is an American creation. There is still ample time to develop your highlife music, leave our Afrobeats the fck alone
This is what's happening,award academy like BET, Grammy etc don't want to accept all African music genres but considering marketing, streaming numbers, Afrobeats is on top cuz so far,it is the most exported African music to the western world
Nigerians should stop sustaining Ghanaians. Ghana is one country in Africa who has benefited so much from Nigeria and Unfortunately, one of the most ungrateful people in Africa despite what Nigeria has done for them. You help a Ghanaian now he will turn around begin to high shoulder with you as if you and him are mate. First of all, Nigeria and Ghana are not mate in anything. That county is just too small, less powerful to compete with Nigeria in anything. So Ghanaians need to be humble and respect and learn from Nigeria. Because y'all don't have what it takes to match Nigeria now or in the future
Nigerians shey una dey see why these Ghanaians chest bad belly for una. Na mad people dem be walahi. Anywhere una see Ghanaians, Beware of them. Make una no dey call them brothers o. If you see them take salt join.
As Ghanaians we very critical of ourselves and sometimes so much so that we play down on what we have and then switch focus to develop something new cus we have the luxury in creativity
DJ Abrantie was promoting Azonto for the Ghanaian Entertainment Industry in the UK, and he has nothing to do with the Afrobeats. The Nigerian Media in the UK were the ones promoted the Afrobeats in the UK and brought Nigerian artists and comedians to the UK. You guys have no idea what you are talking about, Nigeria has the largest black population in the UK and dominated any black communities in the UK and also dominated in Education, Politics and Sports in terms of the Black British. Nigerians always represent Africa. And Ghanaians represent Ghana not Africa so how can you say that DJ Abrantie was the one started the Afrobeats moment for Africans diaspora? Ghanaians represent Ghana alone not Africa. Nigerian media in the UK started the Afrobeats moment promoted and pushing it with a huge amount of money till today. Don Jazzy D'banj Tiwa Savage Seyi Shay Naira Marley And few others was UK Based Nigerians and moved back to Nigeria to pushed the Afrobeats moment in Nigeria. Banky W. Davido Emma Nyra And few others American Based Nigerians too moved back to Nigeria to pushed the Afrobeats moment. Africa means Nigeria and Nigeria means Africa. Nigeria always represent the whole Africa continent.
This is easy guys. Is highlife the number one selling music in Ghana? If it`s not, stop wasting your time, it won`t be marketable to the world. You can`t wish behavior onto people. They like what they like for reasons best known to them. Afrobeats gives everyone exposure including those who would otherwise be invisible (Black sheriff) Embrace it and think about the economics of it before it`s politics. Nigerian producers are heavily infusing Amapiano into Afrobeats because they are more concerned about it`s economics over it`s politics. The free market determines what will be popular.
Shame on Africans, Others are building technology and business to make their country/continent a better a place, You’re here discussing about Afrobeat and Afrobeats
You ladies known nothing about music, Flavour do Igbo Highlife not Afrobeats. Afrobeat or Afrobeats is a sound/genre but right now many Africa countries are copy Nigerian sound and style just to be recognized except South Africans. Did you guys ever heard someone is calling Amapiano Afrobeats? No... because South African artists has their own sound and they're not trying to sound like Nigerians or trying to copy Nigerian style. Most of the new generation Ghanaian musicians are not doing highlife music, they're doing Afrobeats music and sounding like Nigerians because they want their music to be known in Nigeria that's why people calling their music Afrobeats. Afrobeat and Afrobeats originated in Lagos. Flavour is from Eastern part of Nigeria and in the music history of Eastern part of Nigeria the Igbos, they do Highlife music and Hiplife is not a Ghanaian music. Highlife music a West African sound. Only few new generation Ghanaian musicians that do Highlife music eg. Bisa K'dei, Kofi Kinaata, and few others. Ghanaian Highlife is dead very long time ago after the time of Daddy KD, Ofori Amponsah, KK Fosu, Kofi B and Kofi Nti. The old generation Ghanaian highlife was a funeral music. So you guys need to be relax and join the Nigerian Train because is moving very fast. No Ghanaian artist can be recognized globally without Nigeria. Eg. Gyakie, Blacko, King Promise, Kevin Boy and that Sugar Cane guy. Even They're not recognized globally yet.
Ghana want to chill with the big boys.. hahahaha!!! Time wey una go take go work una dey there dey talk about Nigeria wey don leave una... Una go soon craze
Keep decieving yourself .we Africans are the greatest problem of ourself...the sukus and highlife where are they now.for your information non of your Ghanian artist do highlife animore,its all afrobeat...stop this envy and confusion.
I really don't know what you guys are up to . afro beats is a collection of black African tunes .it includes highlife , jazz , reggae , all other African tunes etc . this is good for Africa musical image. You played highlife for over 30 years and it never went beyond respective nations . an artist could say I play afro beats , but my style of Afro beats is highlife , juju , amanpiano ,etc. Nothing is wrong with that.
FELA literally was in Ghana for a few months in 1967 (Ghanaians: Fela learned highlife from Ghana!!!!). Of course, the reality is Highlife had been in Nigeria since the 30s and Nigerians had actually transformed it ... " *In the 1930s the popularity of highlife stretched inland and eastward along the coast, garnering an especially large following in Nigeria. There highlife experienced an important transformation: asymmetrical drum rhythms derived from traditional drumming practices of the Yoruba people were combined with syncopated (displaced-accent) guitar melodies to accompany songs sung in either Yoruba or English* "
@@realdayvoe3075 That's your problem. Keep in mind the people in the video - THEY - are talking about a legend, art form and vibe from "my country". Not the other way around.
Fela learnt from Ebo Taylor. Ghanaian high life music star feka studied under and he was part of ebo Taylor band. th-cam.com/video/19SLUVaOfCs/w-d-xo.html
Your history about Fela is all mixed up and confused. In fact al your history is largely mixed up. My lady Frustration is not Highlife. Viva Nigeria was Highlife. Highlife, Funk, Jazz, Latin...Palmwine music and Yoruba music contributed to Felas music. Why are Ghanaians obsessed with Nigerian music. I would say Hip Hop has more claims on Afrobeats than Highlife. This is insane. Focus on perfecting your sound and it will connect with people.
Afrobeat is a music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences,[1] with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion.[2] The style was pioneered in the 1970s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who is responsible for popularizing the style both within and outside Nigeria.
Funny moments. Black and African musics were lumped under world music and was extremely difficult to hear African sounds under it except for south Africans that outshine every blacks then. Despite that many African songs lost out to the world, due to perseverance and fervent work of blacks across the world, a new platform was created for them to shine and expose their music. What do we all get, fight and fighting, pull down syndrome. Mind you Africans, all the millions of genre in our continent will not get specific global chart dedicated to them. It is all left to us to do the categorization and let us all enjoy this moment of our history in harmony. Music is business. Sound works will heart as a tonic, it doesn't discriminate to great sound, the heart will vibe to it.
Ghana and Africa hating on Nigeria; Nigerians re so ready for una. This one thing that is working for Nigeria and y'all are having headache. Na that headache go kill y'all
Afrobeats comes from Nigeria, but it was later consider has a genre for other African countries since it have become known to the world. If Ghanaian don't like it. Please create your own genre of music to the world.
Someone should let this Ghanaian know that we Nigerians have high life in every part of our country. Envy is one of the reasons Africa does not move forward. You guys should go back to your high life and see if Ghanaians will even listen to your music.
This guy's talking high life as if they have more high life than Nigeria, yes earlier in the day I grow up listening to Ghanaian high life. Later Congolese music take over we also have high life in every tribe in Nigeria. Today you guys have to respect our icon Baba Fela, and Nigeria artists in general because they are the one putting African in the map.
These guys have a point sha, even burna and ckay acknowledged that afrobeats is an umbrella term for different African sounds afrofusion, indigenous rap, emo afrobeat...
Are there enough popular songs in those categories? Like how many Emo Afrobeats musicians are out there outside CKay ? And how many of them have top music ?
@@Biobele it depends on how you interprete what afrobeat is, African beats which would encompass a whole lot of other genres or afrobeat it self as a standalone genre
The grouping of all african songs under afro beats on the long term wont do African music good , cos at the end we will have so much hardworking African musicians in different genres that may not be recognised and in turn awarded in the BETs of this world and grammy .....we will only have few Africans winning under afro beats category, instead of having many other categories of African music that other artistes could be nominated in ...so while we take advantage of it now for projection sake it will be great to set the records straight in the nearest future .
Who cares, create good music, try to make the music for a global audience and all will be fine. Nobody is taking advantage, seems like Afrobeats is more of a marketing tool to promote all the music.
To be honest, Ghanaians Love to sing or make music in their twi language. We and the rest of the world don’t relate. Sounds good, but I personally don’t understand. Now to be fair, there’s some Nigeria songs made, where they sing in their youruba or Ibo language or slangs but predominantly, it’s in English and we can relate. Now trying to term almost all African music “afrobeats” comes with popularity. Nigerian are 200 plus million. 🤷🏽♂️
Who's this man and the girl or mama in the middle speaking with alarming hatred on Nigerians and Nigeria's Afrobeat? Well, no matter how much hatred you may have for Nigerians, you can't change what God has for the Nigerian people...they're blessed and nothing can change it.
I always like that Kadzie guy ...he is real..he just explain it all ....Nigeria own AFROBEAT while the name AFROBEATS which is not a GENRE is own by a Ghanaian.. Simple Logic ..NIGERIA own AFROBEAT sounds while Ghana own the Name Afrobeats ..
POINT OF CORRECTION GUYS ON THE ISSUE OF STONEBOY AND SARKODIE ANSWERS ABOUT AFROBEAT MUSIC TAKING OVER GLOBALLY...SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE THIS INTERNAL DOUBLE STANDARD ATTITUDE TOWARDS NIGERIAN ARTIST...WHICH..THEY INTEND NOT TO SAY ON THE INTERVIEW WHILE IN FRANCE...SIMPLY...MEANS..THAT..THEY DON'T WANT TO BRING SOME DRAMA OF MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THEM AND THE NIGERIAN ARTIST..REGARDLESS OF OUR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES?
I don’t know how this lie about Fela coming to Ghana to learn afrobeat has spread without check in Ghana. It’s simply not true. Stop peddling this lie! It’s dumb. Hi life was a popular west African music and not specific to Ghana. Afrobeat is solely Fela’s creation and has nothing to do with Ghana or high life. It’s heavily influenced by jazz and American funk with pidgin English. AfrobeatS is a Nigerian creation.. nothing to do with Ghana.. You have your hip life and reggae/ dance hall styles. Stop it!
Alright listening to this conversation have brought something to my mind and something to my attention wish I do believe that each and every one of us need to be pay attention to. The issue is with the African music in general of music is that we have not validate ourselves. And this will give you all this validation do not understand then they do not know what we are all about is it okay for example colonisation when the white man came to Africa they didn't know they were different tribe that we speak we spoke different languages for example what happened between in Nigeria and Cameroon sudden people from the Nigeria were now pushing to Cameroon and that's it create a chaos in that country up till today Nigeria wasn't supposed to be a country they were different diverse kinds of human being we spoke different kinds of languages but they were now group into a nation and that create an issue So it's high time we Africans tell our own stories. Marcosa was there all the other genres of music were there before this but this people didn't do much with it Now Nigerian came up with afrobeat and they are doing something with it and now they're getting the validation that they want to get based on their hard work they put into their music so the other people now playing the other genres of music from other parts of Africa need to also put in the equal work to get the validation and recognition on the world standard So for us to have this conversation is best list somehow Nigerians put in the work so the other people doing their stuff need to put in the work for the recognition on the world stage. If is makosa get the same recognition as afrobeat I don't believe they will be put in all those chats and all that everybody want to make money why people won't don't want to do stuff that they know they can't benefit from me they only do stuff with with people already with individuals of the African descent when they know that they can benefit something from it simple as that So let's stop this bias conversation all the time. Is the same conversation that the dancehall artist from Jamaica are having now they put in the work and after a while the day became laid back and now afrobeat can pick and take over the whole place and you know Nigerians they're not going to be apologetic for anything.
Doesn’t it just make sense to classify all as afrobeats to the world while we African know that theirs difference between us ? Why you people trying to complicate things just because its not the Ghanaians topping on world level? Make una shift abeg
Module Twenty Four, Activity Three Music and Religion in Ghana Music is traditionally associated with many aspects of African culture and the daily experience of Africans. The same observation can be made about the Ghanaian culture and society. Traditional Ghanaian music shares many of the patterns and characteristics described in module thirteen about African music [See Module Thirteen: Introduction to Module Thirteen: African Music]. This section will address modern music of Ghana - the contemporary popular music commonly known as Highlife. The name ‘Highlife’ was coined in the 1920’s and it refers to the fusion of Ghanaian traditional music and a popular music that developed between the late 19th and the early twentieth century. Highlife was influenced by three external styles in its evolution. There was the influence of the coastal military-fort brass bands, then that of the port music of seamen and fishermen, and finally the influence of local dance orchestra of the Christian elite. ‘Adaha’ brass-band highlife The fife-and-drums and brass bands were first introduced by the Europeans military based at the coastal forts. The first native Ghanaian band was formed in the middle of nineteenth century. This group only played western military marches and dance music, and not any local Ghanaian songs. “Adaha” is considered the earliest form of highlife music performed in the country. It was created by the blend of syncopated march music fused with Caribbean and local Ghanaian music. Krobo Matakole Band Krobo Matakole Kainka Brass Band, 1897-8. Palm wine music Palm wine music was developed as a distinctive musical style in Ghana in the 1920s and 1930s. This style owes its name to a local brew often consumed liberally when the music was performed. Professor John Collins explained that the name ‘palm wine’ was derived from the “the low-class dockside palm-wine bars where foreign and local sailors, stevedores and dock-workers congregated to drink the fermented juice of the palm-tree.” (“the early History of West African Highlife Music” Popular Music Vol. 8, No.3, African music (Oct. 1989), pp. 221-230). Palmwine Accordion Band Palmwine Accordion Band Kwadwo Seidu’s 1954. High-life as performed by the Christian elite of the coastal area A third influence in the development of Highlife Music was the music performed by large dance orchestras established by the black elite. This music was a fusion of European and Latin American ballroom music with an infusion of ragtime. The name was supposedly coined by the poor people who could not make it the concerts and were standing at the door looking at this orchestra calling it ‘highlife’ meaning “high class life.’ Winneba Orchestra Accra Orchestra The Winneba Orchestra in front of the University of Accra building, 1932. Your turn: What is the meaning of ‘Highlife’ and how did the genre originate? What are the characteristics of the “Adaha” version of Highlife? You have read these three descriptions on the Highlife music. Go over these descriptions and use Google to listen to each musical style. What did you notice? Can you notice any difference between the “adaha” and the Palm Wine music? What about the Highlife as performed by the Christian elite, does it sound similar to the other two genres? High life soul instrument: the Seprewa As time evolved, Highlife became an umbrella for the different varieties of Ghanaian music. But if modern guitar and other western musical instruments have contributed to the development and the evolution of Highlife, the key instrument that is called the Soul of Highlife would be the SEPREWA. What is the Seprewa and why is it called the soul of Highlife? For more information on this instrument read this excerpt: The SEPEREWA is the Ghanaian (specifically Akan) version of a harp-like instrument found in many West African cultures. Seperewa is a harp lute and it belongs to the class of chordophones. (Chordophones are stringed instruments.) They are either played with the hand or with a bow and the sound is produced on them by setting the strings into vibration. There are many varieties of chordophones, ranging from one-stringed fiddle to 8 or more strings. These include varieties of lutes, harps zithers, lyre and musical bows). The Seprewa instrument originated in the Ashanti region between the 17th and 18th centuries. King Osei Tutu, an Asante King was said to have loved the instrument so much that his successor King Opoku Ware caused a replica of it to be made in his memory. The instrument was wrapped in gold leaf, and placed among the paraphernalia of the Golden Stool, which Osei Tutu established as “the soul” of the Asante nation with the help of his counselor, the great priest Okomfo Anokye. Seperewa which was used to entertain kings and also at palm wine bars, and at funerals, by the early 20th century found its way into the church, Christian weddings and conferences. Seperewa can be played in different positions. The player can play while sitting down with the instrument resting on his lap, with the neck of the instrument standing upright. He may also play while standing, the instrument I held firmly in the groin to gain enough support, the neck facing perpendicular in the same direction. Strumming and plucking are the two basic techniques applied and these are done by the thumbs and forefingers with some occasional assistance from the middle fingers. The Seprewa player can even dance while he is playing or make some dramatic movements. Ashante Seprewa This is a sample of the Ashanti Seperewa The Seperewa has four main parts. These are: A long stick which forms both the neck and the tail piece. A rectangular sound-box with two small holes bored in the side of the sound box. A bridge A set of strings which may range from 6, 8, 10 and twelve strings because he can play any song he likes because of the wide tonal range. Osei Kwame Ghanaian musician Osei Kwame with a Seperewa Contemporary evolution of High Life: Under the influence of contemporary pop genres, highlife developed into different subgenres by the end of the twentieth century. Today in Ghana it is common for people to listen on the radio or in public spaces to a variety of highlife music referred to as hiplife, raglife, and burger highlife. These subgenres are created from the fusion of the original highlife music with other contemporary genre like reggae, hip hop or electronic music. Hiplife Influenced by American rap and hip-hop movement, hiplife became a popular genre in Ghana in the 1990s. Hiplife is more than a musical style, it is just like the hip-hop movement in the U.S., a cultural style which embraces an attitude, a form of expression of the youth. The lyrics of hiplife are in Ghanaian languages but use hip-hop and rap poetry style. Hiplife was pioneered by a Ghanaian rapper raised in the U.S. -Reggie Rockstone. Regie Rockstone Regie Rockstone Raglife It is a different style or subgenre of highlife. It became popular a short while after hip-life and came about under the influence of imported music like reggae and ragamuffin (a sub-genre of reggae that leans heavily on electronic music). Ghanaian performer Samuel K. Twum-Barima a.k.a Yoggi Doggi is one of the pioneers of the rag life genre. In fact he insists that he was the brain behind the dancehall version of hip-life that he calls rag-life. “General Marcus and Root I, two of the most influential raglife in this field in those days were doing this style, which was basically the Twi version of reggae but I had to re-style and brand it ‘rag-life’, having noticed its potentials and especially its massive influence on highlife.” (www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/photo.day.php?ID=36609) Yoggi Doggi Raglife artist: Samuel K. Twum-Barima a.k.a. Yoggi Doggi Burger Highlife: This style was exclusively created in Germany in the 1980s by immigrants from Ghana who lived in the city of Hamburg-hence the name. It is a form of techno-pop style performed in the Akan language which combines three instruments: the highlife guitar, the disco drum- machine, and synthesizers. It is originally a version of highlife from the Ghanaian Diaspora that returned to Ghana and conquered the motherland through the return of some musicians from the Diaspora. One of the pioneers of this genre was George Darko who together with singer Lee Duofu, the key-board player Bob Fiscian, and the bassist BB Dowuona formed the ‘Bus Stop Band’ and released one of the first hits of the subgenre in 1983 with the title “Akoo te Brofo’. Burger high life artists: Bob Fiscian Bob Fiscian George Darko George Darko Listen to sound bites of Ghanaian music by searching ‘Ghanaian Highlife’ on TH-cam... Reference: Module twenty four, activity three. Exploring Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2023, from exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/module-twenty-four-activity-three
Black people worldwide we have major major problems. The very title here is divisive? Threat? There’s nothing threatening here. Just come up with something better. It’s competition. Healthy competition for the continent. It isn’t hindering any ability to be creative. We need to stop this
Afrobeats is just one genre.In my opinion Afrobeats is getting the attention today but tomorrow it could be highlife and Amapiano,soukouss or makossa.My fellow Africans let's give it time.It wasn't always like this for Afrobeats. As for the west I think it's ridiculous to call all sounds from Africa Afrobeats.In Nigeria alone there is over 10 genres and they don't sound alike not to talk of Africa
![The Intersection of Afrobeats and Hip Hop [STREET SOLDIERS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oYKix8a1nXw/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Intersection of Afrobeats and Hip Hop [STREET SOLDIERS]](/img/tr.png)
Ghanaians please make music and call it whatever.. It took Nigerians over 10 years to build up the afrobeats genre and take it to the level that it is today... Nigerians have invested heavily in their music and produce a minimum of 10 new afrobeats superstars every year.. Now the world is paying attention and opening doors for other African sounds..
The billboard afrobeats charts and the UK afrobeats chart didn't happen over night nor did it happen because of political pressure.. If you want the world to recognize a hiplife charts or a highlife charts, put in the amount of work and investment Nigerians have put in and perhaps you will get the same recognition..In the meantime, be happy if you are even recognized under the afrobeats genre because before now you weren't even recognized..
💯
Agreed
Agreed 👍🏽 💯
Perfectly written
FACTZ
First it was ban Nigerian music, now Afrobeats is a threat to your music, very soon it will be a threat to your existence. Awon Werey!
They know that this topic is stupid, they just need views. How do you get views in Africa? Get a lot of people to view. How do you get people to view? Look for where you have a lot of people, and make them watch…. How do you make them watch? Talk about them in a underhanded way. Good business plan actually.
@@hrhi2874 They're very stupid.The lazy fools might get views for the few coins they make out of it but not the dedicated subscribers they would have gotten, if they were making wholesome contents.
Lol hahaha 😆 🤣
@@exiblack9370 is it not true lol lol just saying. 😂
Omo Werey 😂
Afrobeat/Afrobeats is Nigerian and Nigerians individually pushed for everything they have including the billboards recognition, y'all should be grateful for getting recognised in the music scene, go create something for yourselves and leave Nigerians in peace.
😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
They will never listen to you. Ghanaians get by off copying people and clinging to other cultures for clout. This is why they always try to link themselves to Nigeria 🇳🇬 and Jamaica 🇯🇲
Abi oooo, he tire me for dem
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ghanaians are cool with their top artist singing like other countries like Jamaican, sarkodie singing hip-hop rap in America, The only problem Ghanaians have with Afrobeats is the fact that it is linked to Nigeria. If Afrobeats was linked to another country they will boldly front it. But they are not comfortable with the country it is associated with
How Sad for the Ghanaians..SMH Nonsense
TRUTH for many !!!!!
Excuses and excuses.
Same Ghanaian artist are now collaborating with Nigeria artist to be famous.
So true bro but do we Nigerians fuckin care about if they front it or not, all we know is that Nigerian artists are already gone and and they can't meet us either
@@Southernview3k it’s your time enjoy it. Gone are he days Nigerian artist chase Ghanaian artists for collabs. When they pay gh artists to perform in naija. When they were doing highlife music. Days of tony tetuila, danfo Driver’s and so on. Music is time. Nigerians are doing well with afrobeat and we hail that.
Afrobeats originated in Nigeria 🇳🇬 that is why Afrobeats is not Organic in Ghana 🇬🇭, as it's in Nigeria 🇳🇬. Afrobeats is Organic in Nigeria 🇳🇬 because that's where Afrobeats originated from.
Dw done a documentary on afrobeat and even they said it started in Nigeria 🇳🇬 and highly influenced the Ghanaians lool you need a white man to be impartial because he will tell the truth, they even did another documentary on fela kuti and said the same thing. It’s only Ghanaians and other Africans who are jealous who claim Afrobeats was made by them lol Ghanaians are really trying pathetic
They will come for you my dear
My other brothers Ghanaians
You guys should know that the word afrobeats is coined to give other African genres an opportunity to be heard. 99.9% of record breaking and viral songs out of Africa is Nigerian
Afrobeats is mostly Reggaeton with dancehall poured on top. It's not a bad thing, but it's definitely not ORIGINAL or AUTHENTIC.
@@vamoneygroup LMAO. if you understand JUJU music or Fuji music from Nigeria or traditional folk music from Nigeria, you wont open your mouth waah and term Afrobeat such. You hear talking drums for your reggaeton & Dancehall. Afrobeat in its purest form is FELA AND THE KUTI family music. Go and listen and come back. The mainstream form of it is a collection of everything with AFRO origin from makossa, ndombolo, fuji, amapiano, juju, eastern nigerian music to hausa music and lots more.
@@denatora7142 u too get sense and time to dey follow this wan talk. Naija to the world 🌎
@@denatora7142 But even the original Afrobeat was influenced by Reggae, and is nothing compared to modern Afrobeats, which has high influenced of Dancehall, Hip Hop, etc
Afrobeats is Nigerian. Nigeria is Ghana's biggest problem.
Ghana has a blatant hatred for Nigeria's success. The only reason why Ghana has issues with Afrobeats is bcos Nigeria created and took it global. Stoneboy was even hating on TikTok bcos Nigerians use it to shine their music. They had an opportunity in France before a live T.V to be proud of Africa's musical success courtesy of Afrobeats but went on a criticizing rampage.... what a shame!!!
My brother, myopia !! In capital letters
There are truly ugly people
Don't hate on Nigeria, that's what they call Nigerian soft power... If u don't like it don't hate... But be creative... I come in peace. Highlight is dead and gone now...
There are more Nigerian talents on the way: Nigeria has 220 million people.
Nigeria's massive population comes with 280 Tribes or cultural groups, and each tribe have their own distinct language, food, attire, music and rhythm, farming methods, burial ritual, marriage ceremony, different method of paying respect to the elders, etc.
The diversity of Nigeria actually helps our Afrobeat because, sometimes, musicians like to introduce elements of their tribal music. In some cases, you can actually distinguish between Afrobeat of artist from Eastern Nigeria and Western Nigeria. This is why Afrobeat music of non Nigerian artists sounds unoriginal, stiff and mechanical. They lack Nigeria's tribal texture.
They never see anything.😜
All nice but Nigerian Music succes started in 2008. Yet go watch the history of Rumba. Go listen to the Rumba back in 60s up until the 2020s. This country 🇨🇩 influenced the sounds of different countries that you hear today whether it is in Africa or Americas
@@bantuhebrew2439 is this country you are talking about not descendants from Africa?
I don’t think Afrobeats have any highlife in it. It’s more of a combination of Nigeria Fuji music,fela afrobeat, Nigeria juju music,and more importantly switching lyrics from Queens English to Nigerian Pidgin English. It’s when the new generation Nigerian artist started writing all kinds of songs in pidgin English that they renamed fela’s afrobeat as afrobeats. The genre was not rename by any DJ in the UK. Yes afrobeats is a genre created by naija modern day musicians incorporating much of fela afrobeat sounds but with songs written in Nigerian Pidgin English. It’s not a lump up thing.
Afrobeat contains highlife,it’s a fusion of different genres.
Lol...Fela also wrote songs in pidgin na...
You tend to be capitalising on the fact that afrobeats singers write in pidgin as the distinguishing factor
And fela didn’t do highlife? Lol. When he was rediscovering his musical journey after from London it was in Ghana he came to learn about highlife and went back to Nigeria and started doing highlife. Brought a few Ghanaian highlife artists to naija to learn a lot from. So at a point he incorporated highlife into his sound and make it wholly.
@@swaggst And so what he came to Ghana to learn, does that mean that was all he did? Is ojuelegba by wizkid under Ghana highlife? Is YE by Burns boy highlife? Is Esence high life?
@@MajorrBison a healthy conversation doesn’t have a response to ‘ and so what? Go learn the elements of music and come back and speak. 2face had said it. Perruzi producing davidos earlier tracks confirmed the infusion of highlife into the Afro beats. Just do research
Afrobeat/s is NIGERIA and Nigeria is AFROBEAT/S, period!!
💯% correct!
Facts.
💯💯💯
Help me tell them my people
Highlife isn’t a Ghanaian genre but a Liberian 🇱🇷 and Sierra Leonian 🇸🇱 genre. It’s called palmwine music 🎵 in both countries. Ghanaians cannot lay claim to that genre.☝️
It's a west African thing. We call it tombo (palm wine) music back in the days. Y'all ranting over highlife like music never existed in other country.
Is better you people always come out and defend your thing, if not this r!tual!!St country ghana are ready to hijacked what is not their own
Ghanaians love to take credit for doing nothing.
Mr James, you are absolutely write about the origin of the West African Highlife Music, which Ghanaians always falsely claim ownership. The West African highlife got its origins from the Caribbean calypso and other genres that were heavily on guitars and instruments which found its way into West Africa through the Liberian corridor. In colonial era the Americo-Liberian population in and around Monrovia with their acquired Euro-American tastes embellished and popularized this genre of music called the West African Highlife and other brass-band music similar to what was in vogue in New Orleans and other places in America which the Americo-Liberians were exposed to. Of course with the passage of time other West African countries adopted this form of music while incorporating their various local or traditional music content which accounts for the uniqueness and diversity in the Highlife played across the West African sub-Region. So sometimes I find it very difficult to understand why Ghanaians debate over things they barely know about. Most of the people who make bogus claims about highlife originating in Ghana simply don't know any history. For those old enough to remember, urban life in Accra and most of the coastal Ghana were heavily influenced by the returnee freed African slaves from Brazil, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Caribbean most of whom were of Yoruba extraction. Any knowledgeable Ghanaian will recall that both in precolonial and postcolonial Ghana, there use to be suburban areas called Lagos town, or Anago town as well as Kru town or Liberian town and several others. Their influence was felt in every aspects of the Ghanaian urban life. Even after independence in 1957, the descendants of these returnees and later migrants from Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone continued to exert great influence on the Ghanaian urban life especially in and around Accra or the Greater Accra region, and there is no denying that this was why in 1971 the regime of Busia, passed the Alien Repatriation or Deportation decree, resulting in the violent expulsion of predominantly people of Nigerian extraction were many had their legitimate businesses and properties looted and confiscated by Ghanaians. Many Ghanaians today don't know about these things because they were born decades after and the few who were alive and witnessed these events don't talk about them. It's just unfortunate that today the Internet has given so many idiots and illiterates the platform to parade their lunacy and twisted views
@@danielchukwu4212 Thank yoU for the Education! We need more like this on varied subjects ✌️
i think all africans should appreciate nigerians for creating a genre for whereby all african artist can be recognized, afrobeat, afrobeats is naija
First off, highlife is simply west african rythms fused with guiter and other European istruments.. It is all about evolution.. African music has been evolving from the days of folk songs.. If Ghanaians decide to stop the evolution of their music at highlife, then it is fine too as long as they are able to get the world to rock along with them..
Secondly, the most important thing is that we are able to get our music and culture across to the rest of the world.. The success of Nigerian music has brought an incredible level of pride and respect to Africans globally.
Ghanaians should try and create their own genre of music/sound and stop trying to differentiate between Afrobeat and Afrobeats. South Africa created Amapiano, Cameroon created Makossa, Congo/Tanzania are adopted Makossa too. Ghana copying dancehall which is Jamaican's genre isn't good.
Ghanaians created highlife but I don't know why they are sleeping on that genre
Ghana didnt copy Jamaican genre, and Afrobeats is a modified version of the same Jamaican Genre you're talking about
@@NativeNomad10 Afrobeat isn't a modified version of Jamaica genre , reggae. They don't even come close. So, please stop deceiving yourself.
Did Stonebwoy just say “Yeah mon “ to the white female interviewer????
Kpangolo Jamaican!!!
It's b'cos they have lost focus, imagine a pure African wanting to behave like the Jamaicans
@@OgooMbogu That’s right, they are taking this Dancehall thing to heart!
People that will be doing "ehn ehn" to a real Jamaica, always forming Jamaicans..
Lol yeah man
Yes oooo
A Ghanaian jumping from Bristol speaking English to 🇯🇲 Jamaica yea man English, mmmmm
These ghanians really want to be us so bad.
Its too obvious..... But u can never be great if you don't acknowledge the greatness of others around you.
Facts
@@HeroesofHeaven. they have even started shouting Ghana no dey Carry last. The can steal and copy us Nigerians
@@tolu_jay they have even started shouting Ghana no dey Carry last. They can steal and copy us Nigerians
They have even started shouting Ghana no dey Carry last they can steal and copy us Nigerians
afrobeat or afrobeats oo..all Nigeria. u guys can try to sound like the Nigerians but still the different is there. Nigeria has no competitors in Africa music. my fellow Nigerians please leave this Ghanaians to continue making noise . They are used to that. Them making noise and we making money .
Nigeria is Ghana's biggest problem
Ghana will continue to take medicine while Nigerians continue to Soar higher✌️
*Ghana's obsession with Nigeria is like an ANT crawling on a mighty ELEPHANT. The elephant doesn't even notice the ant.*
Where do you people get these dubious stories from?
Fela Kuti’s original band was formed in London and it was called Koola Lobitos!
Ghanaians need to know that while highlife music originated in Ghana, there were fully fledged highlife bands in Nigeria who nigerianised their own sound, and threw up serious musicians who held their own to the fullest!
Victor Olaiya, Roy Chicago, Zeal Onyia, Inyang Henshaw, Rex Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, Bobby Benson and many more!
Fela Kuti did “marry” elements of highlife with Jazz, Funk, and traditional Yoruba music to create Afrobeat!!
And one of the pundits was right!
Music evolves!
He was mentored by Ghanaian called Evo Taylor who was doing the type of music in ghana where fela lived and studied
th-cam.com/video/19SLUVaOfCs/w-d-xo.html this was already in existence way back in the 50's. When feka was based in ghana studying and living
@@8674k Behave!!!
Ebo Taylor met Fela in London and they had jamming sessions!
Fela had studied music at the Trinity College of music in London and was already burning up London with Koola Lobitos band!
@@aframaco9491 th-cam.com/video/SVKXweeVdo4/w-d-xo.html
Not true. They met in Ghana. You know fela lived in Ghana for so many years before our independence. Thus highlife songs have been in existence way long even in colonial times
@@aframaco9491 th-cam.com/video/7J2obPoM2SA/w-d-xo.html
Watch him perform
I laugh at you GH. Did you guys see how Nigeria is fine turning Amapiano with different beats ( Afrobeat)? These are creative and nobody bothered at pointing out fingers in Nigeria.
This, Nigerians don’t bother with all these shalaye, or talk, we just create great music, adjust when we need to, take inspiration from anything and move.
Afrobeat is Nigeria 🇳🇬 Nigeria is afrobeats
Exactly my point
Facts
😂😂 afrobeat without the s this guys want to become Nigeria so bad 😆😆
They even stole our naija phrase.. Some Ghanaians be saying Ghana no dey carry last. Ghanaians can steal and copy us Nigerians. They can never be original
@@joyuyoke4999 one even say Igbo is from ghana
@@ngoziikemefuna500 Ghana people are w..eird normally. They are jealous of us and want to be us so bad
@@joyuyoke4999 don't mind those ode later dey will say is Nigeria that started it
Afrobeats = Nigerian
The so called highlife was stolen from Sierra Leon called palm wine music
Steal it back
What do you mean stolen? The palm
Wine music is the same thing we call it in Nigeria back in the days. It’s called Tombo music and Tombo means palm wine in Nigeria pidgin English. So what are you talking about?
@VIC lovely you know Ghanians like to claim anything good from Africa.
@@kevo7ful leave Sierra Leon they are Nigerians
@@godsanointed3397 that’s exactly what Nigerians know how to do best. Claiming everything good from the west based on say they’re the giant. A giant in clay sands .
Nigerians are giving some people sleepless 🌙 Night.up Nigeria. Everybody wants to belong when Nigeria is winning. You can't be Nigerian when you are not one of us ,Everybody has his country
That is how one ghana person claim that Igbo is from Ghana
Ghanaians with inferiority complex..abeg let dance to my afrobeat jare... 💃💃💃💃👏👏
E choke them
Afrobeats is Nigerian and Nigerian alone. It has it's way of sound
I don't understand all this arguments African unity is power separation is division whatever the music is named doesn't matter at all non African call it just like that ,since it comes from African all black race all over the world are proud of this development . Sometime I get shame of myself how we argue or discuss unnecessary issues.
The Dj did not start any afrobeats movement and Beyoncé tapped in African music because her movie
Afrobeat is a music genre that involves the combination of elements of West African musical styles such as fuji music and highlife with American jazz and later soul and funk influences
You people should stop this only highlife thing
No be highlife
That DJ Abrantie was promoting Azonto in UK for Ghanaian music industry and he has nothing to do with Afrobeats in UK.
The Nigerian media in the UK were the ones promoted Afrobeats and pushing it till today.
DJ Abrantie was promoting Ghanaian music in the UK the time Azonto became popular.
You guys are just confusing yourselves the more, Afrobeats with s' or not is inconsequential, there was never a genre for African songs in the international market before now that is globally excepted. We have pushed Afrobeats globally, you guys should just be creative and use the platform to announce other African genre and not these things you are wasting your time on.
Exactly, it's more about amplifying different sounds from Africa
See stress u are all going through to describe a music genre... Afrobeat and afrobeats... We do not own the world music chats and the world doesn't owe us a music chat... The Europeans lump everything from the Caribbean as reggae, everything from Africa as afrobeat... It's for ease of grading... Only an African chat can distinguish between all our different African Genres... You all need to stop spending energy trying to differentiate music tastes....
Afrobeats is an opportunity for Africans to own their craft, but you all try so hard to show a disunited front... Sarkodie would remind everyone that he is a hip hop artist... Hip hop is owned by the Americans... U would always be an outsider as long as you aren't an American... In the end, your problem is Nigeria... You just wait till we get our country working... Una all go get heart attack
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Bros! Take it easy you're too emotional as a Ghanian. This is why a lot of Nigerians thinks Ghanians are jealous. First, you made a mistake that Afrobeat by Fela has Fuji in it. Again, you said Fela is smart to tap from hi-life. Hmmm!!! Please go and listen to Fela songs. Purely jazz mixed and local beats. A lot of misinformation here aebg ooo! Biafra! How did it affect this conversation. In Nigeria, we have a lot sounds like Fuji, Traditional hi-life from the eastern and southern parts in Nigeria. So, Afrobeat is an inspiration of both Fela sounds and complementary sounds in Nigeria. With respect, African music has there own genres. Indeed, the world wants to know which genre of Africa music will be accepted in the world. For me I won't blame the whites for this. Look at Flavour songs is often an Eastern traditional music. So, let's get it right. Promote your own and celebrate what's good.
th-cam.com/video/19SLUVaOfCs/w-d-xo.html
He studied in Ghana and lived in Ghana for so many years. When we tell you lot something humble yourself and take it in. Fela learnt from Ebo Taylor in ghana. Research his music
Afrobeat does have Fuji, JuJu, highlife, jazz in it
Your 3 biggest artists in Ghana Shatta is doing dancehall, stoneboy is rap , sarkodie is rap some of your artists sound like reggae artists what is Ghanas sound of music, is it rap or dancehall your artists go outside your country and they are doing Dancehall or rap , rap is American music , dancehall is Jamaican sound what is stopping Ghanaians from taking their music to the world you keep talking about Nigeria music
Ghanaians are copy cats
Afrobeats Originated in Nigeria while Hi-Life Originated in Liberia/Sierra Leone (Known as palm wine music)
Simple!
Palm wine music was and is still in Ghana
@@gingerbreadmangangafarmer2251 u dnt know history
@@joshuaemmanuel949 Do you?
Ghana talks about Nigeria to get attention. When Ghana is not claiming Nigeria's achievement, they are blaming Nigeria.
Interesting talk! A kenyan here and I give Nigerians their flowers for their investment in Afrobeats and support their people have shown to the genre. The ripple effect was other african countries started to pay attention in the 2010s and now worldwide. All these youre discussing is more like politics. You see, way before nigerians started to dominate musically, Congolese(lingala, South africa(kwaito) and kenyan(genge-2000s)& Tanzanian Bongo music dominated their respective regions. But what failed to sustain these industries to african and world dominance? Try find an answer for this
Nigerians seem to want it more, however I believe their media played a big part eg playing 90% local music hence a vibrant Music scene.
Ghanians, Kenyans and Tanzanians should find a way to make their sound stand out if they haven't already. The next obvious step is more music + more marketing. Nigeria and South Africa seem to have crack the code
To be honest, Sony, Werner and big music giants boost Top Nigerian artists because their industry is already Vibrant. That's wassup
Ghanians is, was and will always be treathened by Nigerians.
Pls guys don't be confused. Nigerians refer to their style of music as Afrobeats. We do it in several methods: Afro-pop, afro-highlife, afro-dancehall, afro-raggae, agro-gospel etc. Hope you get it now!
I don't have much to say, but you guy's a big problem, I mean some of Ghanaians
This was why I didn't like the Kelvyn boy - down flat song added to the pioneering Afrobeats top 50 billboards countdown list. Who ever did that has started a future war and now Ghanaians are going to be laying claim to Afrobeats like they even understand the spirit behind it. And just because Bob Marley spent a good part of his life in the USA doesn't mean reggae music is an American creation. There is still ample time to develop your highlife music, leave our Afrobeats the fck alone
Dem no go listen.
This is what's happening,award academy like BET, Grammy etc don't want to accept all African music genres but considering marketing, streaming numbers, Afrobeats is on top cuz so far,it is the most exported African music to the western world
I watched sakodie show yesterday I was smh. the guy is mainly for Ghanaians alone . Noting else
Nigerians should stop sustaining Ghanaians. Ghana is one country in Africa who has benefited so much from Nigeria and Unfortunately, one of the most ungrateful people in Africa despite what Nigeria has done for them.
You help a Ghanaian now he will turn around begin to high shoulder with you as if you and him are mate.
First of all, Nigeria and Ghana are not mate in anything. That county is just too small, less powerful to compete with Nigeria in anything.
So Ghanaians need to be humble and respect and learn from Nigeria. Because y'all don't have what it takes to match Nigeria now or in the future
Nigerians shey una dey see why these Ghanaians chest bad belly for una. Na mad people dem be walahi. Anywhere una see Ghanaians, Beware of them. Make una no dey call them brothers o. If you see them take salt join.
I swear e dey pain when some Nigerians go dey call dem brothers na there eyes done dey clear small small
@@ngoziikemefuna500 ñâ people wéy ñô know dêy ćäll Dem brother.
Ghana is busy claiming to be the originator of Nigeria's Afrobeat, instead of actually learning how to produce Afrobeat. God_ah_beg_oh!
As Ghanaians we very critical of ourselves and sometimes so much so that we play down on what we have and then switch focus to develop something new cus we have the luxury in creativity
DJ Abrantie was promoting Azonto for the Ghanaian Entertainment Industry in the UK, and he has nothing to do with the Afrobeats.
The Nigerian Media in the UK were the ones promoted the Afrobeats in the UK and brought Nigerian artists and comedians to the UK.
You guys have no idea what you are talking about, Nigeria has the largest black population in the UK and dominated any black communities in the UK and also dominated in Education, Politics and Sports in terms of the Black British.
Nigerians always represent Africa.
And Ghanaians represent Ghana not Africa so how can you say that DJ Abrantie was the one started the Afrobeats moment for Africans diaspora?
Ghanaians represent Ghana alone not Africa.
Nigerian media in the UK started the Afrobeats moment promoted and pushing it with a huge amount of money till today.
Don Jazzy
D'banj
Tiwa Savage
Seyi Shay
Naira Marley
And few others was UK Based Nigerians and moved back to Nigeria to pushed the Afrobeats moment in Nigeria.
Banky W.
Davido
Emma Nyra
And few others American Based Nigerians too moved back to Nigeria to pushed the Afrobeats moment.
Africa means Nigeria and Nigeria means Africa.
Nigeria always represent the whole Africa continent.
This is easy guys. Is highlife the number one selling music in Ghana? If it`s not, stop wasting your time, it won`t be marketable to the world. You can`t wish behavior onto people. They like what they like for reasons best known to them. Afrobeats gives everyone exposure including those who would otherwise be invisible (Black sheriff) Embrace it and think about the economics of it before it`s politics. Nigerian producers are heavily infusing Amapiano into Afrobeats because they are more concerned about it`s economics over it`s politics. The free market determines what will be popular.
You want to educate the world and you don't have any awards to do it. 🤣😃. You guys like talking too much.
Shame on Africans, Others are building technology and business to make their country/continent a better a place, You’re here discussing about Afrobeat and Afrobeats
We like bring down each other hate
You ladies known nothing about music, Flavour do Igbo Highlife not Afrobeats.
Afrobeat or Afrobeats is a sound/genre but right now many Africa countries are copy Nigerian sound and style just to be recognized except South Africans.
Did you guys ever heard someone is calling Amapiano Afrobeats? No... because South African artists has their own sound and they're not trying to sound like Nigerians or trying to copy Nigerian style.
Most of the new generation Ghanaian musicians are not doing highlife music, they're doing Afrobeats music and sounding like Nigerians because they want their music to be known in Nigeria that's why people calling their music Afrobeats.
Afrobeat and Afrobeats originated in Lagos.
Flavour is from Eastern part of Nigeria and in the music history of Eastern part of Nigeria the Igbos, they do Highlife music and Hiplife is not a Ghanaian music. Highlife music a West African sound.
Only few new generation Ghanaian musicians that do Highlife music eg. Bisa K'dei, Kofi Kinaata, and few others.
Ghanaian Highlife is dead very long time ago after the time of Daddy KD, Ofori Amponsah, KK Fosu, Kofi B and Kofi Nti.
The old generation Ghanaian highlife was a funeral music.
So you guys need to be relax and join the Nigerian Train because is moving very fast.
No Ghanaian artist can be recognized globally without Nigeria.
Eg.
Gyakie, Blacko, King Promise, Kevin Boy and that Sugar Cane guy. Even They're not recognized globally yet.
Thank you! Spot on! Ghanaian highlife was funeral music which is highly celebrated. I don’t get how they come up with these lies.
Ghanaian highlife was not a funeral music.It’s just sounds bluesy because it uses the Dominant scale and Dominant chords
Spot ôñ bro..
Thé highlife music ís à West African genre..
Ghana want to chill with the big boys.. hahahaha!!!
Time wey una go take go work una dey there dey talk about Nigeria wey don leave una... Una go soon craze
Lol
One Ghanaian said Igbo is from ghana
They are even saying they are the Giant of Africa
They didn't answer the question, they're just beating round the bush.
This is embarrassing we fighting among us ,let's make beautiful music and share with the world from every corner of Africa.
Keep decieving yourself .we Africans are the greatest problem of ourself...the sukus and highlife where are they now.for your information non of your Ghanian artist do highlife animore,its all afrobeat...stop this envy and confusion.
Let me ask u now todsy 2023 where is ghana sound now
Ghanaian created everything fela never did any high life song hahahaha
Very funny 😝😝🤪🤪😛😜😄😊😋😆
I really don't know what you guys are up to . afro beats is a collection of black African tunes .it includes highlife , jazz , reggae , all other African tunes etc . this is good for Africa musical image. You played highlife for over 30 years and it never went beyond respective nations . an artist could say I play afro beats , but my style of Afro beats is highlife , juju , amanpiano ,etc. Nothing is wrong with that.
FELA literally was in Ghana for a few months in 1967 (Ghanaians: Fela learned highlife from Ghana!!!!). Of course, the reality is Highlife had been in Nigeria since the 30s and Nigerians had actually transformed it ... " *In the 1930s the popularity of highlife stretched inland and eastward along the coast, garnering an especially large following in Nigeria. There highlife experienced an important transformation: asymmetrical drum rhythms derived from traditional drumming practices of the Yoruba people were combined with syncopated (displaced-accent) guitar melodies to accompany songs sung in either Yoruba or English* "
Say whatever makes you feel good about your country.
Truth is Fela came to Ghana because of the Pan Africanist movement by Kwame Nkrumah.. His mother was friends with Nkrumah
@@realdayvoe3075 That's your problem. Keep in mind the people in the video - THEY - are talking about a legend, art form and vibe from "my country". Not the other way around.
Fela learnt from Ebo Taylor. Ghanaian high life music star feka studied under and he was part of ebo Taylor band.
th-cam.com/video/19SLUVaOfCs/w-d-xo.html
Rubbish. Keep FELA out of your mouth oga.
Your history about Fela is all mixed up and confused. In fact al your history is largely mixed up. My lady Frustration is not Highlife. Viva Nigeria was Highlife. Highlife, Funk, Jazz, Latin...Palmwine music and Yoruba music contributed to Felas music. Why are Ghanaians obsessed with Nigerian music. I would say Hip Hop has more claims on Afrobeats than Highlife.
This is insane. Focus on perfecting your sound and it will connect with people.
Afrobeat is a music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences,[1] with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion.[2] The style was pioneered in the 1970s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who is responsible for popularizing the style both within and outside Nigeria.
What a load of needless waffling, get on with it woman!!
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Ghanian pls go create your own beat abeg you can not grow beyond your level because of hatred
I think, when these clumped up genre get bigger... They'll be distinguished
Funny moments. Black and African musics were lumped under world music and was extremely difficult to hear African sounds under it except for south Africans that outshine every blacks then. Despite that many African songs lost out to the world, due to perseverance and fervent work of blacks across the world, a new platform was created for them to shine and expose their music. What do we all get, fight and fighting, pull down syndrome. Mind you Africans, all the millions of genre in our continent will not get specific global chart dedicated to them. It is all left to us to do the categorization and let us all enjoy this moment of our history in harmony. Music is business. Sound works will heart as a tonic, it doesn't discriminate to great sound, the heart will vibe to it.
Ghana and Africa hating on Nigeria; Nigerians re so ready for una. This one thing that is working for Nigeria and y'all are having headache. Na that headache go kill y'all
There is no (s) in music forget about afrobeat with (s) is afrobeat
Afrobeats comes from Nigeria, but it was later consider has a genre for other African countries since it have become known to the world. If Ghanaian don't like it. Please create your own genre of music to the world.
Someone should let this Ghanaian know that we Nigerians have high life in every part of our country. Envy is one of the reasons Africa does not move forward. You guys should go back to your high life and see if Ghanaians will even listen to your music.
But where did me highlife begin?
This guy's talking high life as if they have more high life than Nigeria, yes earlier in the day I grow up listening to Ghanaian high life. Later Congolese music take over we also have high life in every tribe in Nigeria. Today you guys have to respect our icon Baba Fela, and Nigeria artists in general because they are the one putting African in the map.
The guy with the rough bears says Fela came to ghana to steal their style.🤣🤣🤣🤣 ghanaians are so funny.
LoL which is afrobet with the s again funny people with funny ideas 😅😂😂
You people better respect that name Fela.. Una nor get work yeye set of people
If Nigerias producers jump on highlife beat day we make it unique
These guys have a point sha, even burna and ckay acknowledged that afrobeats is an umbrella term for different African sounds afrofusion, indigenous rap, emo afrobeat...
Are there enough popular songs in those categories? Like how many Emo Afrobeats musicians are out there outside CKay ? And how many of them have top music ?
@@Biobele it depends on how you interprete what afrobeat is, African beats which would encompass a whole lot of other genres or afrobeat it self as a standalone genre
The grouping of all african songs under afro beats on the long term wont do African music good , cos at the end we will have so much hardworking African musicians in different genres that may not be recognised and in turn awarded in the BETs of this world and grammy .....we will only have few Africans winning under afro beats category, instead of having many other categories of African music that other artistes could be nominated in ...so while we take advantage of it now for projection sake it will be great to set the records straight in the nearest future .
No. Afrobeat is not a threat to other music genres in Africa. The rise of the Nigerian entertainment industry is a win for the whole of Africa
HOWEVER THE POINT RIGHT HERE IS THAT THE WORLD NEVER SEE NIGERIAN AFROBEAT COMING LIKEWISE IN AFRICA ASWELL?
#🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬4LIFE
Who cares, create good music, try to make the music for a global audience and all will be fine. Nobody is taking advantage, seems like Afrobeats is more of a marketing tool to promote all the music.
To be honest, Ghanaians Love to sing or make music in their twi language. We and the rest of the world don’t relate. Sounds good, but I personally don’t understand. Now to be fair, there’s some Nigeria songs made, where they sing in their youruba or Ibo language or slangs but predominantly, it’s in English and we can relate.
Now trying to term almost all African music “afrobeats” comes with popularity. Nigerian are 200 plus million. 🤷🏽♂️
Who's this man and the girl or mama in the middle speaking with alarming hatred on Nigerians and Nigeria's Afrobeat? Well, no matter how much hatred you may have for Nigerians, you can't change what God has for the Nigerian people...they're blessed and nothing can change it.
U are for more confusion as long as u are determined to bring nigerian down what u dont know is that God is at work in nigeria
I always like that Kadzie guy ...he is real..he just explain it all ....Nigeria own AFROBEAT while the name AFROBEATS which is not a GENRE is own by a Ghanaian..
Simple Logic ..NIGERIA own AFROBEAT sounds while Ghana own the Name Afrobeats ..
Is it my eyes? Is it just the camera moving or the platform itself is moving?
POINT OF CORRECTION GUYS ON THE ISSUE OF STONEBOY AND SARKODIE ANSWERS ABOUT AFROBEAT MUSIC TAKING OVER GLOBALLY...SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE THIS INTERNAL DOUBLE STANDARD ATTITUDE TOWARDS NIGERIAN ARTIST...WHICH..THEY INTEND NOT TO SAY ON THE INTERVIEW WHILE IN FRANCE...SIMPLY...MEANS..THAT..THEY DON'T WANT TO BRING SOME DRAMA OF MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THEM AND THE NIGERIAN ARTIST..REGARDLESS OF OUR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES?
The lady in black trouser is uninformed
She's just a full of hatred with her nationalist mentality.
She's very empty
Kudos to the big man there for establishing the facts. Even the girl on pink did noble. The lady tried too. Generally it is very educative
No one is stopping Ghanaians from making afro beats, it's a genre for a reason, Ghanaians already do dance hall right? right?
The lady in white she’s so pained and bitter
I don’t know how this lie about Fela coming to Ghana to learn afrobeat has spread without check in Ghana. It’s simply not true. Stop peddling this lie! It’s dumb. Hi life was a popular west African music and not specific to Ghana. Afrobeat is solely Fela’s creation and has nothing to do with Ghana or high life. It’s heavily influenced by jazz and American funk with pidgin English.
AfrobeatS is a Nigerian creation.. nothing to do with Ghana.. You have your hip life and reggae/ dance hall styles. Stop it!
Alright listening to this conversation have brought something to my mind and something to my attention wish I do believe that each and every one of us need to be pay attention to. The issue is with the African music in general of music is that we have not validate ourselves. And this will give you all this validation do not understand then they do not know what we are all about is it okay for example colonisation when the white man came to Africa they didn't know they were different tribe that we speak we spoke different languages for example what happened between in Nigeria and Cameroon sudden people from the Nigeria were now pushing to Cameroon and that's it create a chaos in that country up till today Nigeria wasn't supposed to be a country they were different diverse kinds of human being we spoke different kinds of languages but they were now group into a nation and that create an issue So it's high time we Africans tell our own stories. Marcosa was there all the other genres of music were there before this but this people didn't do much with it Now Nigerian came up with afrobeat and they are doing something with it and now they're getting the validation that they want to get based on their hard work they put into their music so the other people now playing the other genres of music from other parts of Africa need to also put in the equal work to get the validation and recognition on the world standard So for us to have this conversation is best list somehow Nigerians put in the work so the other people doing their stuff need to put in the work for the recognition on the world stage. If is makosa get the same recognition as afrobeat I don't believe they will be put in all those chats and all that everybody want to make money why people won't don't want to do stuff that they know they can't benefit from me they only do stuff with with people already with individuals of the African descent when they know that they can benefit something from it simple as that So let's stop this bias conversation all the time. Is the same conversation that the dancehall artist from Jamaica are having now they put in the work and after a while the day became laid back and now afrobeat can pick and take over the whole place and you know Nigerians they're not going to be apologetic for anything.
Doesn’t it just make sense to classify all as afrobeats to the world while we African know that theirs difference between us ? Why you people trying to complicate things just because its not the Ghanaians topping on world level? Make una shift abeg
Module Twenty Four, Activity Three
Music and Religion in Ghana
Music is traditionally associated with many aspects of African culture and the daily experience of Africans. The same observation can be made about the Ghanaian culture and society. Traditional Ghanaian music shares many of the patterns and characteristics described in module thirteen about African music [See Module Thirteen: Introduction to Module Thirteen: African Music].
This section will address modern music of Ghana - the contemporary popular music commonly known as Highlife. The name ‘Highlife’ was coined in the 1920’s and it refers to the fusion of Ghanaian traditional music and a popular music that developed between the late 19th and the early twentieth century. Highlife was influenced by three external styles in its evolution. There was the influence of the coastal military-fort brass bands, then that of the port music of seamen and fishermen, and finally the influence of local dance orchestra of the Christian elite.
‘Adaha’ brass-band highlife
The fife-and-drums and brass bands were first introduced by the Europeans military based at the coastal forts. The first native Ghanaian band was formed in the middle of nineteenth century. This group only played western military marches and dance music, and not any local Ghanaian songs. “Adaha” is considered the earliest form of highlife music performed in the country. It was created by the blend of syncopated march music fused with Caribbean and local Ghanaian music.
Krobo Matakole Band
Krobo Matakole Kainka Brass Band, 1897-8.
Palm wine music
Palm wine music was developed as a distinctive musical style in Ghana in the 1920s and 1930s. This style owes its name to a local brew often consumed liberally when the music was performed. Professor John Collins explained that the name ‘palm wine’ was derived from the “the low-class dockside palm-wine bars where foreign and local sailors, stevedores and dock-workers congregated to drink the fermented juice of the palm-tree.” (“the early History of West African Highlife Music” Popular Music Vol. 8, No.3, African music (Oct. 1989), pp. 221-230).
Palmwine Accordion Band
Palmwine Accordion Band Kwadwo Seidu’s 1954.
High-life as performed by the Christian elite of the coastal area
A third influence in the development of Highlife Music was the music performed by large dance orchestras established by the black elite. This music was a fusion of European and Latin American ballroom music with an infusion of ragtime. The name was supposedly coined by the poor people who could not make it the concerts and were standing at the door looking at this orchestra calling it ‘highlife’ meaning “high class life.’
Winneba Orchestra
Accra Orchestra The Winneba Orchestra in front of the University of Accra building, 1932.
Your turn:
What is the meaning of ‘Highlife’ and how did the genre originate?
What are the characteristics of the “Adaha” version of Highlife?
You have read these three descriptions on the Highlife music. Go over these descriptions and use Google to listen to each musical style. What did you notice? Can you notice any difference between the “adaha” and the Palm Wine music? What about the Highlife as performed by the Christian elite, does it sound similar to the other two genres?
High life soul instrument: the Seprewa
As time evolved, Highlife became an umbrella for the different varieties of Ghanaian music. But if modern guitar and other western musical instruments have contributed to the development and the evolution of Highlife, the key instrument that is called the Soul of Highlife would be the SEPREWA. What is the Seprewa and why is it called the soul of Highlife? For more information on this instrument read this excerpt:
The SEPEREWA is the Ghanaian (specifically Akan) version of a harp-like instrument found in many West African cultures.
Seperewa is a harp lute and it belongs to the class of chordophones. (Chordophones are stringed instruments.) They are either played with the hand or with a bow and the sound is produced on them by setting the strings into vibration. There are many varieties of chordophones, ranging from one-stringed fiddle to 8 or more strings. These include varieties of lutes, harps zithers, lyre and musical bows). The Seprewa instrument originated in the Ashanti region between the 17th and 18th centuries. King Osei Tutu, an Asante King was said to have loved the instrument so much that his successor King Opoku Ware caused a replica of it to be made in his memory. The instrument was wrapped in gold leaf, and placed among the paraphernalia of the Golden Stool, which Osei Tutu established as “the soul” of the Asante nation with the help of his counselor, the great priest Okomfo Anokye.
Seperewa which was used to entertain kings and also at palm wine bars, and at funerals, by the early 20th century found its way into the church, Christian weddings and conferences.
Seperewa can be played in different positions. The player can play while sitting down with the instrument resting on his lap, with the neck of the instrument standing upright. He may also play while standing, the instrument I held firmly in the groin to gain enough support, the neck facing perpendicular in the same direction. Strumming and plucking are the two basic techniques applied and these are done by the thumbs and forefingers with some occasional assistance from the middle fingers. The Seprewa player can even dance while he is playing or make some dramatic movements.
Ashante Seprewa
This is a sample of the Ashanti Seperewa
The Seperewa has four main parts. These are:
A long stick which forms both the neck and the tail piece.
A rectangular sound-box with two small holes bored in the side of the sound box.
A bridge
A set of strings which may range from 6, 8, 10 and twelve strings because he can play any song he likes because of the wide tonal range.
Osei Kwame
Ghanaian musician Osei Kwame with a Seperewa
Contemporary evolution of High Life:
Under the influence of contemporary pop genres, highlife developed into different subgenres by the end of the twentieth century. Today in Ghana it is common for people to listen on the radio or in public spaces to a variety of highlife music referred to as hiplife, raglife, and burger highlife. These subgenres are created from the fusion of the original highlife music with other contemporary genre like reggae, hip hop or electronic music.
Hiplife
Influenced by American rap and hip-hop movement, hiplife became a popular genre in Ghana in the 1990s. Hiplife is more than a musical style, it is just like the hip-hop movement in the U.S., a cultural style which embraces an attitude, a form of expression of the youth. The lyrics of hiplife are in Ghanaian languages but use hip-hop and rap poetry style. Hiplife was pioneered by a Ghanaian rapper raised in the U.S. -Reggie Rockstone.
Regie Rockstone
Regie Rockstone
Raglife
It is a different style or subgenre of highlife. It became popular a short while after hip-life and came about under the influence of imported music like reggae and ragamuffin (a sub-genre of reggae that leans heavily on electronic music). Ghanaian performer Samuel K. Twum-Barima a.k.a Yoggi Doggi is one of the pioneers of the rag life genre. In fact he insists that he was the brain behind the dancehall version of hip-life that he calls rag-life.
“General Marcus and Root I, two of the most influential raglife in this field in those days were doing this style, which was basically the Twi version of reggae but I had to re-style and brand it ‘rag-life’, having noticed its potentials and especially its massive influence on highlife.” (www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/photo.day.php?ID=36609)
Yoggi Doggi
Raglife artist: Samuel K. Twum-Barima a.k.a. Yoggi Doggi
Burger Highlife:
This style was exclusively created in Germany in the 1980s by immigrants from Ghana who lived in the city of Hamburg-hence the name. It is a form of techno-pop style performed in the Akan language which combines three instruments: the highlife guitar, the disco drum- machine, and synthesizers. It is originally a version of highlife from the Ghanaian Diaspora that returned to Ghana and conquered the motherland through the return of some musicians from the Diaspora. One of the pioneers of this genre was George Darko who together with singer Lee Duofu, the key-board player Bob Fiscian, and the bassist BB Dowuona formed the ‘Bus Stop Band’ and released one of the first hits of the subgenre in 1983 with the title “Akoo te Brofo’.
Burger high life artists:
Bob Fiscian
Bob Fiscian
George Darko
George Darko
Listen to sound bites of Ghanaian music by searching ‘Ghanaian Highlife’ on TH-cam...
Reference:
Module twenty four, activity three. Exploring Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2023, from exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/module-twenty-four-activity-three
Ghana Ghana na wa Ooh
Black people worldwide we have major major problems. The very title here is divisive? Threat? There’s nothing threatening here. Just come up with something better. It’s competition. Healthy competition for the continent. It isn’t hindering any ability to be creative. We need to stop this
Oga Nigeria has highlife musical genre highlife is not Ghanaians
There only one person on stage rhat has a clue. My man with matching outfit.
Afrobeats is just one genre.In my opinion Afrobeats is getting the attention today but tomorrow it could be highlife and Amapiano,soukouss or makossa.My fellow Africans let's give it time.It wasn't always like this for Afrobeats.
As for the west I think it's ridiculous to call all sounds from Africa Afrobeats.In Nigeria alone there is over 10 genres and they don't sound alike not to talk of Africa