Today we have a guest post by Benn loxo listener, Wen, on Ghanaian “Hip Life” music:
Ghanaian Hip Life is a hybrid of Afro-American hip-hop and West African highlife. It is characterised by rapping over a 4/4 beat, however it differs from most traditional hip-hop with its melodic lead vocals. The rap is mostly in the local languages Twi, Fanti, Ga and Ewe, but also in the lingua franca of the Muslim minority, Hausa. The official language in Ghana is English, though due to migrant relations with the neighbouring countries French is also used. In these songs we hear a more pidginised form of English which contains old expressions from colonial times that are still used today.
The music is mostly made-up of samples of old Highlife tunes. Hiplife is created with computers and synthesizers in the studios. Live performances are accompanied by playback and are performed as lip-synchs. Live performance plays an important role and most of the hiplife performers are very good dancers.
Hip Life is a medium for the youth to express their issues, but themes affecting general society such as HIV/AIDS and malaria are also discussed.
The four members of the group V.I.P. (Vision in Progess) come from Nima, a primarily Muslim migrant community in Accra. In their songs they criticise issues within their native community, such as in “Ni Ne Naki”, the strict marriage form of auren daure, where the Muslim wife must stay within the household. This is usually not common practice in Ghana where Islam is not as as strict as in, for example, northern Nigeria.
V.I.P. rap in Hausa but also in Twi, the Akan-dialect of southern Ghana, Ewe, English and French. The press regards them as Ghana’s own Wu-Tang Clan.
Their most popular track, “Rana Sallah” (day of prayer), off their first album, “Biibiiba O” (Something will come), describes the Id el-Fitr, the festival after the Ramadan. The beat was sampled of Busta Rhymes’ “Dangerous”. Their second album “Ye de Aba” contains samples of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”. On their third album, “Ahomka Wom”, V.I.P. collaborates with other Hip Life artists such as Frank Mensah Pozo, Tic Tac, 2-Tee and Lil’ Kryz.
Wen
Thanks, Wen, for the music and background. -Matt
VIP - Ahomka Wo Mu
VIP - Ni Ne Naki
VIP - Adoley
Tags:
ghana,
hiplife