Accra: Celebrated Highlife musician, Akosua Agyapoong, has urged industry players to promote and sustain the growth of Ghanaian Highlife locally and on global stages. She emphasized that Highlife music remains the foundation of other music genres in the country, and should be preserved for present and future generations. Akosua Agyapoong encouraged widespread enjoyment of Highlife music, asserting, “Let’s play Highlife music on radio, in our cars.wherever we go, we have to encourage our youth to enjoy it.Highlife will never die so let’s help promote Highlife.”
According to Ghana News Agency, the songstress was speaking at the launch of ‘Highlife Music at 100’ in Accra at the Department of Music, University of Ghana. The year-long commemoration, themed ‘Highlife Unlimited – A Centenary of Celebration of Ghanaian Popular Music,’ is expected to climax on September 21, 2026. Activities lined up for the celebration include roundtable discussions, public lectures, music concerts, workshops, theatre productions, and a high school highlife competition.
The initiative, in partnership with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts, Group d’Action pour le Development Communautaire (GADEC) and the Institute of African Studies, aims to reflect the evolution, cultural impact, and global influence of Highlife music. It also seeks to celebrate past and present artists and personalities who have contributed to the development of the genre in the country.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Amakye Boateng, Head of the Department of Music at the University of Ghana, described Highlife as “the heartbeat of the nation’s cultural identity.” He noted that it is “the soundtrack that carried our grandparents through independence, gave rhythm to our collective aspirations, and continues to inspire new generations across Africa and the Diaspora.” Dr. Boateng highlighted the importance of renewing, preserving, promoting, and reimagining Highlife for the next century through research, documentation, performance, and education.
Professor Edmund John Collins, a UK-born guitarist and ethnomusicologist, traced the different forms of Highlife music, including Brass Band Highlife, Palmwine music, and Guitar Band Highlife, which became the foundation of Ghana’s post-independence popular music. He acknowledged the contribution of personalities like Ghana’s First President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in establishing Highlife as a symbol of national pride. Prof Collins stressed the importance of celebrating the origins of Ghanaian Highlife and commended contemporary artists who continue to draw inspiration from Highlife rhythms.
As part of celebrating authentic Ghanaian music, Nkyinkyim Band, together with other top local talents, will stage the musical concert dubbed ‘Nkyinkyim X’perience’ at the National Theater on November 14, 2025, at 8 pm prompt.