Comments on: Studio Gems

By: thursdayborn

thursdayborn — Wed, 23 May 2007 17:13:19 +0000

god bless john collins. he is a remarkable individual who has done more than words can say for keeping highlife alive in the international realm. thanks very much for posting this, matt! everyone (who cares about west african popular music) should know about prof collins’ extensive list of books and articles…. google around or go to your local university library’s ethnomusicology or african studies deptartment.

in response to curm’s query: i think there ARE a few younger bands playing this sort of music in scattered cases throughout ghana. but YES, it is very much your-grandfather’s-jams, unfortunately.

most of the guitar-oriented bands can be found in the church now, though they are not playing this music EXACTLY. it is certainly informed by the harmonies and structures of the older highlife styles but is of course lyrically focused on god, jesus, and faith-related.

some of the hiplife (rap) artists are incorporating highlife samples and/or musical elements into their songs, but this is small consolation for those of us who adore the music represented by collins and the vast numbers of aging highlife luminaries in ghana.

when oh when will there be a real guitar highlife band to tour ghana (and beyond) again?? one day one day… perhaps.

until then: long live the bokoor sound and the many talented and nearly forgotten artists of the elder generations. cheers to you, prof collins. much respect.

By: Matt Yanchyshyn

Matt Yanchyshyn — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:44:31 +0000

Good question. To be honest I don’t know much about contemporary Ghana, but I doubt it. I imagine it’s like old-style Congolese rumba or afrolatin Senegalese music- something your grandparents listened to.

If someone knows more, I’m happy to be wrong on this one…

Matt

By: curm

curm — Wed, 23 May 2007 03:44:30 +0000

Are there any young guitar-playing highlife (or some more modern variation) bands from Ghana or is this just a great approach from the past?

By: deb

deb — Sun, 20 May 2007 17:51:14 +0000

Thanks for the heads up! I frequent calabash music all the time but never came across this compilation. I just purchased Yeah Yeah Ku Yeah.

By: Pacoo

Pacoo — Fri, 18 May 2007 00:32:03 +0000

Always insatiable listens. Is there anychance for a “space theme” from parts of Africa? I wanna here some martian music! THanks!

By: Nnamdi Moweta

Nnamdi Moweta — Mon, 14 May 2007 06:42:40 +0000

Chief Osita Osadebe king of Highlife from Nigeria passed on friday May 11 in America.
A coordinated Funeral arrangement is being planned in some cities in USA on a yet to be announced date. Please stay tuned. May His Soul Rest in Peace.

Nnamdi Moweta-Greencard Music Management

By: ubulujaja

ubulujaja — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:01:07 +0000

this was a nice compilation. you should check out the gun and the guitar compilations he put out.

By: aduna

aduna — Sun, 13 May 2007 07:30:01 +0000

You can also find “The Guitar & Gun” remastered and reissued by Earthworks and recorded by John Collins during the Ghana’s revolutionary period (1981-1984).

Aduna

By: links for 2007-05-12 « Chatquah and Galoshes

links for 2007-05-12 « Chatquah and Galoshes — Sat, 12 May 2007 15:23:38 +0000

[...] Ghanain music it’s so good (tags: music africa ghana) [...]

By: zim

zim — Sat, 12 May 2007 14:47:42 +0000

He also has written a number of books documenting the highlife scene – One I really enjoyed in particular was “highlife times” with interviews of many of the most important musicians of the times

Matt, thanks for posting these, I’ve been meaning to grab a copy but haven’t had a chance to get one yet.