THE DIVERSITY OF MUSIC IN GHANA

“Music is a major pillar of Ghanaian way of life”

Deep down the roots of the Ghanaian life is music. Music is an essential element in the life of the West African country have is rich with diverse culture. From the churches, pubs, beaches, parties, festivals, funerals, carnivals, traditional settings, music play an important role is steering affair related to these. For the Ghanaian way of music, the traditional music forms the basis. It is from these that various other forms of music spunk. Albeit there has been a level of borrowed musical culture in recent times, traditional Ghanaian music still hold its relevance.

Typical traditional Ghanaian music includes dance rhythms like borborbor, adowa, akpalongo, agbadza, gota etc. These are rhythms to which various traditional music and dance are carried along. Traditional choral and acapella music is also rampant in Ghana. Early Ghanaian choral music composers include Ephraim Amu, J.H.K. Nketia and Kenneth Kafui. Varrick Jame Armaah, Newlove Annan, George Mensah Essilfie are also some of the current well know

Writer: Amevor Mawunyo Kwasi Bless Christian choral composer. Alabasta Box, Manifest, Note 6, Soul Street, Precious Memories and Vocal Path are some of the main a capella sing groups in Ghana. Contemporary Christian music is of good quality in Ghana with notable singers including Joe Mettle, Diana Hamilton, Ohemaa Mercy etc. This traditional forms of music have seen much improvement over the last ten (10) years where singers and composer are monetizing their act.

The music industry of Ghana also has space for what is termed secular music. These forms of music are very popular in Ghana. Some forms of secular music are indigenous whiles others are borrowed culture. The music of Ghana often reflects a Caribbean influence, yet it still retains a flavour all its own. While Pan-Ghanaian music had been developed for some time, the middle of the 20th century saw the development of distinctly Ghanaian pop music. Notable form of Ghanaian music that has made global rounds is the High-life. Highlife incorporated elements of swing, jazz, rock, ska and soukous. With the emergence and success of the popular Osibisa band in the 1970s, High-life was taken to the world; Europe and America. Notable early high-life musicians includes but not limited to Jewel Ackah, Nana Acheampong, Gyedu-Bla Ambolle, Awurama Badu, Amakye Dede, Dr. Paa Bobo, Dadd Lumba, Amanzeba, Ebo Taylor, Papa Yankson. Though High-life was not very popular in Ghana in the early 2000s due to the influx of other genre of music, the last ten (10) years has seen a strong renewed love for authentic Ghanaian High-life music. More young Ghanaian musicians are leading their resurgence. Notable among they are Kuame Euege, Kidi, Bisa Kdaei, Kofi Kinanta.

In the late 1990s, led by Reggie Rockstone, Hiplife as discovered. What Reggie Rockstone did was to fuse (based on his experience leaving abroad) highlife with rap music and that was the basis of hip-life music. Reggie Rockstone is a Ghanaian musician who started as a hip-hop musician in the United States. He

later returned to Ghana before finding his unique style of blending high-life with rap music. Hiplife can thus be tagged as hip-hop music but in typical Ghanaian local dialect that is harmonized with elements of Ghanaian traditional High life. To make this genre of music popular is Ghana, ace music producer unveiled three artists Obrafour, Tinny and Ex-doe, who further popularized the Hiplife music. Current Hiplife artist are many, some include: Reggie Rockstone, Eazzy, Edem, Kwa Kese, Sarkodie etc.

Obo Addy

Hip hop music is also very popular in Ghana as one of the music genres borrowed. There are very good hip hop artists in Ghana that are shaking boundaries: Sarkodie, Kwesi Arthur, Medikal, Joey B etc. Also borrowed is the dance hall and reggae music genre. Stonebwoy, Shata Wale, Jupitar, Episode are the popular artists in this genre. Afrobeat music is the new genre of music in Ghana. The origin is traced from Ghana but the main credited originator of modern afrobeat music is Fela Kuti of Nigeria.

The diversity of Ghanaian music as naturally built a large industry that acts as a major source of livelihood of many artists and people that work with these artists. The Ghanaian music industry is a whole tourist attraction on its own will major concerts being held getting to the later part of each year; bring in thousands of people in and outside of Ghana together. Music in Ghana has been consistently used as a powerful tool to educate youths on social vices and also educate the general population on essential social topics. Nigh club, pub and beaches are not left out in the use of Ghanaian music. All forms of Ghanaian music are played at the places as DJs believe that different forms of people patronize these places. As such in a typical Ghanaian pub, one might hear gospel, hip hop, high-life, traditional, dance hall, reggae or hip life been play loudly. The average Ghanaian is a music lover, irrespective of the genre of song he or she is glued to.

Though the Ghanaian music industry is rich with content, the business side faces some challenges. The trace and collection of music royalties in Ghana is very problematic. Unlike other countries where structure and bodies are able to trace and pa artists for their song played, that does not happen in Ghana. This has been a very topic discussion in many quarters of the musical industry. Though the body to perform this task is set up, effective structure to ensure that their mandate is carried out well is weak. Thus, musicians only fall on major digital streams, concert pay and other endorsement deal for their financial survival. The discussion is still on going, relevant sectors are being pulled together, musicians are being educated; hopefully, this challenge will be solved and musicians from all diverse genre can fully receive pay for their creative arts. Till then, music in Ghana is rich and diverse, a major culture we are proud of.