Highlife music
| Title | Highlife music without alcohol? Interrogating the concept of gospel highlife in Ghana and Nigeria  |
|---|---|
| Main subject | Ghana, Nigeria |
| Author name string | Austin Emielu, Grace Takyi Donkor |
| Publication date | 3 Gyoonoɔre 2019 |
| Language of work or name | Bɔrefɔ |
| Work available at URL | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2989/18121004.2019.1690205 |
| Published in | Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1-2 |
| Page(s) | 29-44 |
Highlife e la a Ghana neɛ yiele gɔɔloŋ naŋ taa yiibu zie na e coastal tenne a saŋa na Ghana a 19th century, yi a o dakore yeltare kyaare a colony yi a British ane a o nakoɔloŋ soe a coastal ziiri. O da taa la lambo gyamaa a African ziiri ane western jazz melodies.[1] O da tone la a melodic ane a rhythmic structures a traditional African yiele, kyɛ o maŋ taa la ŋmeɛbo neŋ Western instruments. Highlife taa la yelsoore neŋ jazzy eele ane guitars naŋ vɛŋ a band ane o nubie ayi ŋmeɛbo a guitar gɔɔloŋ na be a African yiele. Yi a 2010s, te gaŋ a zaa a 2018 wagere, o da nyɛɛ s uptempo, synth-driven sound.[2][3]
Highlife da nyɛɛ bammo k'a genre yɛre pɔge a West African irigyin. Pioneers teseŋ Cardinal Rex Lawson, E.T. Mensah, Victor Uwaifo, a zaa naŋ taa voonoo kyaare a traditional Africa gaŋgaɛ ane western "Native Blues".[1] A baaroo saŋa a Second World War, o gyamaa bammo da waɛ yi a Igbo noba a Nigeria, ba naŋ da fere lantaa maale Igbo highlife naŋ da leɛ a ba teŋɛ yieluu naŋ taa gɔɔloŋ a 1960s.[4]
Highlife sereŋ eɛ yiele naŋ e a yielkpoŋ ko a Ghana noba ane a o diaspora teŋgbuli zaa yi a o lammo neŋ a puoruu ziiri ane a o yelsonne o naŋ taa kyaare a Ghana noba naŋ tuuro sori gɛrɛ zitɔbɔ.[5] A 2025, o da taa la bammo ka o e la saakommo yeltare yi a UNESCO.[6]
Yelkorɔ
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]A ama mine arpeggiated highlife guitar da taa la eebo a baaroo saŋa ko a Afro-Cuban guajeo.[2] A lammo zie da la a 3-2 clave motif guajeo aŋa ana wuli a puli kyɛ. A bell pattern naŋ taa bammo a Cuba a e clave yi la a Ghana, kyɛ maŋ taa la toma neŋ highlife.[3]
A yizie ko a Highlife stem yi a colonialism ane a nakoɔloŋ a West Africa yi regional gɔɔroŋ ko a yielŋmeɛreba.
Palm wine yiele
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]Palm-wine yiele, meŋ na e maringa a Sierra Leone, e la a gɔɔloŋ kaŋa naŋ yi coastal zage be a yielŋmɛ bilii da piili tona neŋ boŋŋmeɛre naŋ na baŋ de gaa neŋ ziiri naŋ da taa waabo yi nakoɔloŋ deme kyɛ naŋ taa lammo neŋ local string ane percussion boma. O da maŋ taa ŋmeɛbo gyamaa a syncopated 4/4 metre. A yiele da taa la ŋmeɛbo ne low class palm-wine bars a ports be a sailors, dock tontomba, ane working class locals naŋ na nyuuro kyɛ naŋ kyɛlle a yiele. Palm-wine da taa la eebo a inland ane gyamaa zie a Africanized version da waɛ la a naŋ taa 12/8 polyrhythms; a subgenre meŋ na eɛ "Native Blues". A gɔɔloŋ ŋa naŋ taa la gyamaa bammo a World War II be a maaloo wagere naŋ da taa baroo.[1]
Brass-band highlife
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]A gɔɔroŋ kyaare a highlife naŋ taa yitaaloŋ ne western brass bands a European forts a West Africa. A sogyare maŋ toŋ la yielŋmɛ-bilii ne a brass band regiments a wuli ba a ba linear makyi yiele. A yielŋmeɛreba bama zaa na da nyɛ lɛnɛɛ a West Indian regimental bandsmen naŋ da erɛ a bamenne yiele sere a ba peɛnoo vori poɔ, a da vɛŋɛɛ ka ba meŋ da erɛ bamenne deme. A makyi yiele paabo a polyrhythmic local music da tere la seɛre gɔɔloŋ naŋ e adaha, ane gɔɔloŋ ba naŋ de k'o e cheaper, local instruments naŋ e konkoma. A lammo da tɔglɛɛ a dɔgebo saŋa ko jazz a New Orleans.[1]
Seɛre ane guitar band highlife
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]A 1920s, Ghana yielŋmeɛraba da de la naasaleba yeltare a foxtrot ane calypso ne Ghanaian rhythms teseŋ osibisaba (Fante).[4] Highlife da laŋɛɛ a local African aristocracy yi a colonial wagere poɔ, kyɛ da taa ŋmeɛbo ne bands gyamaa teseŋ a Jazz Kings, Cape Coast Sugar Babies, ane Accra Orchestra te paale a teŋɛ coast.[4] A nentegre naŋ na ba kyɛllɛ a yiele a iribu kpaaroŋ poɔ da ko a yiele yuori. A seɛre orchestra wederɛ Yebuah Mensah (E.T. Mensah's yɔɔkpoŋ) da yeli ko la John Collins a 1973 ka a yelzu 'highlife' da taa la eebo a 1920s "na e yelŋmaa kyɛ-ŋmaara a orchestrated yiele a [exclusive] kpaaroŋ poɔ kyaare a seɛre bands a Jazz Kings, a Cape Coast Sugar Babies, a Sekondi Nanshamang ane a tasogɔ a Accra Orchestra. A noba naŋ be zitɔbɔ maŋ boɔle o la highlife bonso ba naŋ ba ta a noba banna naŋ na yi yeŋe, naŋ na ba seŋ ka ba yɔɔ kpeɛbo yɔɔbo naŋ na baŋ e 7s 6d (seven shillings ane sixpence), kyɛ meŋ ferɛ k'o yɛre zimaane bonsuuraa, te paale a top-hats ka bana na baŋ da a."[7]
Jacob Asare (meŋ naŋ e Kwame Asare bee Jacob Sam) da la a Ghana yielŋmeɛra dɛndɛŋ soba naŋ ŋmɛ yiele na e highlife genre. A June 1928, ona ane a o kpaaroŋ, a Kumasi Trio, da yielee "Yaa Amponsah" (Amponsah Parts I & II) a London ko a Zonophone label. A yiele ama da eɛ a piiluu bondemannewulaa ko a Ghanaian guitar-band highlife.[8][9][10] Yi a 1930s, highlife da yɛrɛɛ gaa a Ghana tontonneba naŋ be a Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria ane Gambia ane bamine naŋ be West African tenne mine, be la k'a yieluu da nyɛɛ ŋmɛ-yaaroo.
A 1940s, a yiele da po-eŋɛɛ bɔgere ayi: dance band highlife ane guitar band highlife. Guitar band highlife da eɛ a band bilii ana ane, a piiluu saŋa, da taa la bammo yaga kori poore. Yi a dakore yeltare naŋ da be a stringed instruments teseŋ a seprewa a irigyin poɔ, yielŋmeɛreba poore da pɛlɛɛ la ka ba da tonne a guitar. Ba meŋ da tone la a dagomba style, ba naŋ da sɔre yi Kru sailors naŋ yi Liberia, ka ba maale a highlife's nubie ayi deɛbo gɔɔloŋ.[4] Guitar band highlife meŋ da paalɛɛ, drums ane claves. E.K. Nyame ane a o Akan Trio da soŋ vɛŋɛɛ a guitar band highlife taa bammo ko gyamaa,[11] kyɛ naŋ taa ŋmɛyaaroo kyaare a 400 yiele sere a Nyame's lifetime.[4] Dance band highlife, maale da bebe la tembɛrɛ poore. A zɔɔre baaroo saŋa, seɛre kpoŋ kaŋa a orchestras da piili taa la leɛroo neŋ smaller professional dance bands, E.T. Mensah ane a Tempos. A naasaleba naŋ da gaa, a kyɛlkyɛlba gyamaa da la Ghana noba, ane yieluu naŋ na maŋ maana ba sikyie. Mensah's fame da gaa la nimitɔɔre o naŋ da ŋmɛ a Louis Armstrong a Accra a May 1956, a da nyɛ o yokpɛgelaa, a "King of Highlife".[4] Yelsoŋ naŋ da e a 1950s da la a King Bruce, naŋ da e a band wederɛ ko a Black Beats. A piiluu saŋa bands mine la, a Red Spots, a Rhythm Aces, a Ramblers ane Broadway-Uhuru.
A Ghanaian diaspora
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]Libiri naŋe zuiŋ da la vɛŋ k'a Ghana noba da tu a sori a baaroo wagere a 1960s a da boɔrɔ toŋgyamaa kyɛ a political instability na da e a 1970s ane 1980s da ko la gyamaa wahala ane yiele ŋmeɛreba gyamaa ka ba yi maale zie ko a Germany noba yi a teŋɛ maaroŋ zuiŋ kyaare sori tuuribo mere lambori.[5]
Burger highlife
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]Ghana noba na be Germany da maalɛɛ a secular style ko highlife naŋ da laŋ a yiele neŋ funk, disco, ane synth-pop. O da taa la sagedeebo neŋ burger highlife bonso Ghana teŋkponne gyamaa zie da kpeɛrɛ la a Hamburg. A yiele paa da eɛ kpaaroŋ neŋ noba naŋ tu sori lantaa Germany ane Ghana. O meŋ da naŋ taa la mannoo neŋ tontomboma mine naŋ e modern technologies; a baaroo saŋa a 1990s, bommaaloo yoŋ da la fintindigili boma.
Gospel highlife
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]Da e la yiele soŋ karaa kaŋa naŋ be a Ghana noba ane a o diaspora, gospel highlife da lee la burger highlife yi o naŋ da maŋ kyaare saakonnoŋ ane puoruu yeltare. A yiele gaa tɔgele la burger highlife kyɛ o daanoo da yie Charismatic Christianity ane Pentecostalism. O tona naŋ be a tenne seɛre da kyaarɛɛ puoruu yie naŋ moɔrɔ ka ba maale social ane cultural zie ko Ghanaian diaspora a Germany.
Jazz na be Ghana
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]1950s
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]E.T. Mensah ane Kofi Ghanaba e la yiele ŋmɛkaraa sere na be a Ghana. Yi a 1950s, famous jazz yielŋmeɛra da wa la a Ghana, teseŋ Ahmad Jamal ane Louis Armstrong na taa ŋmeɛbo a Ghana (1956 ane 1960). Armstrong's All Stars mɛmba Edmond Hall da wa la Ghana a 1959 k'o wa maale short-lived jazz a Accra.
Guy Warren da e la yiele ŋmeɛra naŋ e E.T. Mensah ane a Tempos kyɛ baŋ gaa a America kyɛ na laŋ tona neŋ yiele ŋmeɛreba Red Saunders ka maale a album Africa Speaks, America Answers, ane meŋ la ŋmɛ a Duke Ellington a Chicago ta wagere mine. Warren da ta daanoo yi o naŋ da ŋmɛ a highlife ko a United States k'o wanne a African-American yielŋmeɛreba a Africa, ka ba leɛ baŋ a African yeltare naŋ be a Afro-American yiele poɔ da taa la faabo kyɛ ka ba da baŋ e a "African musical renaissance" a baaroo wagere poɔ na da e a '50s.[12]
Yiele mine
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]Yizie:[13]
- Pianist Randy Weston yiele yuori na e Highlife a 1963, featuring compositions yi West African musicians Bobby Benson ("Niger Mambo") ane Guy Warren (Kofi Ghanaba) ("Mystery of Love").
- Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders yiele yuori naŋ e "High Life" a Rejoice (1981).
- Guitarist Sonny Sharrock taa la yiele naŋ e "Highlife" a album meŋ na taa yuori yeni (1990).
- Craig Harris (trombone) taa la yieluu yuori na e "High Life" a album F-Stops (1993).
Meŋ kaa kyɛ
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]Sommo yizie
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]- 1 2 3 4 Collins, John (1989). "The Early History of West African Highlife Music". Popular Music. 8 (3): 221–230. doi:10.1017/S0261143000003524. ISSN 0261-1430. JSTOR 931273.
- 1 2 Eyre, Banning (2006: 9). "Highlife guitar example" Africa: Your Passport to a New World of Music. Alfred Pub. ISBN 0-7390-2474-4
- 1 2 Peñalosa, David (2010: 247). The Clave Matrix; Afro-Cuban Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins. Redway, CA: Bembe Inc. ISBN 1-886502-80-3.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Salm, Steven J.; Falola, Toyin (2002). Culture and Customs of Ghana. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 181–185. ISBN 9780313320507. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- 1 2 Ruxandra, Krüger, Simone Trandafoiu (2014). The globalization of musics in transit : music migration and tourism. Routledge. pp. 252–266. ISBN 978-0-415-64007-7. OCLC 900017261.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Ghana's Highlife finds its rhythm on UNESCO world stage". France 24. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ↑ Collins, John (1986). E. T. Mensah: King of Highlife. London: Off The Record Press. p. 10.
- ↑ "Legends of Ghanaian Highlife Music: Kwame Asare (Jacob Sam)". African Research Consult. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ↑ "The Early History of Music Recording in Ghana". Scribd. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ↑ "1928 - Jacob Sam (Kumasi Trio)". Afrisson. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ↑ Musicmakers of West 1985 publisher Lynne Rienner Publishers ISBN 978-0-89410-075-8
- ↑ Kelley, Robin D. G. (2012-03-01). Africa Speaks, America Answers. pp. 11–40. doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674065246. ISBN 9780674046245.
- ↑ Jazz in Ghana Retrieved 27 January 2021
Nimitɔɔre Kannoo
[maaleŋ | Maale eŋ yizie]- Collins, John (1985). Music Makers of West Africa. Washington (DC): Three Continents Press. ISBN 0-89410-076-9. also Colorado:Passeggiata Press.
- Collins, John (1992). West African Pop Roots. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 0-87722-916-3.
- Collins, John (1996). E. T. Mensah King of Highlife. Anansesem. ISBN 9-98855-217-3.
- Collins, John (2016). Highlife Giants: West African Dance Band Pioneers. Abuja (Nigeria): Cassava Republic Press. ISBN 978-978-50238-1-7.