1870s, Gold Coast, British West Africa (modern-day Ghana)
Derivative forms
Makossa
Afrobeat
Hiplife
Fusion genres
Raglife
Regional scenes
Igbo Highlife, Ijaw Highlife, Edo Highlife
Highlife is a music genre that started in West Africa, along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its history as a colony of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions of African metre and western jazz melodies.[1] It uses the melodic and main rhythmic structures of traditional African music, but is typically played with Western instruments. Highlife is characterized by jazzy horns and guitars which lead the band and its use of the two-finger plucking guitar style that is typical of African music. Recently it has acquired an uptempo, synth-driven sound.[2][3]
Highlife gained popularity and the genre spread throughout West African regions. Pioneers like Cardinal Rex Lawson, E.T. Mensah, Victor Uwaifo, all perfected this sound by infusing traditional Africa drums and western "Native Blues".[1] After the war its popularity came back within the Igbo people of Nigeria, taking their own traditional guitar riffs and the influence of the diverse culture and flavor of Nigeria, mixed and perfected it to form Igbo highlife which became the country's most popular music genre in the 1960s.[4]
Highlife has remained a part of popular music for Ghanaians and their diaspora globally through its integration with religious institutions and the positive effect it had on immigrating Ghanaians leaving their homeland.[5]
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Highlife is a music genre that started in West Africa, along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its history as a colony...
Igbo highlife is a contemporary musical genre which combines highlife and Igbo traditional music. It first started off in the southeast region of Nigeria...
continent. The best known modern genre originating in Ghana is Highlife. For many years, Highlife was the preferred music genre until the introduction of Hiplife...
Back in the High Life is the fourth solo album by English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, released on 30 June 1986. The album...
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This is a list of notable Nigerian highlife musicians arranged in alphabetical order. There are several other genres of music in Nigeria these include...
Amarfio (drums), Mamon Shareef, and Farhan Freere (flute) played in a highlife band called The Star Gazers. They left to form the Comets, with Osei's...
Daasebre Gyamenah (Akan: Daasebrε Gyamena), was a Ghanaian highlife musician who became very popular for his hit album Kokooko (1999) which featured Lord...
Rara music, Were music, Ogene, Fuji, Jùjú, Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Igbo highlife, Afro-juju, Waka, Igbo rap, Gospel, and Yo-pop. Styles of folk music are...
Nigerian highlife musician from Atani. During his career spanning over four decades, he became one of the best known musicians of Igbo highlife. His best-known...
In the 1950s and 1960s, Highlife music became a popular staple in the country with regional genres such as the Igbo Highlife. A notable exponent of the...
It would peak at No. 50 on the U.S. Country Chart. "Lowlife (Living the Highlife)" was released as the album's seventh single on March 8, 2009. Rock n Roll...
Ultra-Boogie Highlife is the debut album by American hip-hop artist/producer Funkghost. It was released on March 31, 2000 [1] on his own independent imprint...
This is a list of notable past and present musicians in Ghana. Guy Warren Rebop Kwaku Baah KiDi Becca Fuse ODG Jay Ghartey Osibisa Wendy Shay Dobble Yaw...
first highlife orchestras from Cape Coast.They were also known as the Light Orchestra. Their style of music is known as West African Highlife music....
Ghanaian highlife emerged in the 1980s as a mixture of West African rhythms from Europe by Black people from south and North America. There were three...
Acheampong, is a Ghanaian Highlife musician. He is also the other half of the famous Lumba brothers who popularized Burger-highlife in Ghana (the other is...
facets of their daily lives. Some very popular Igbo musical styles are Igbo highlife, Ogene, Igbo gospel. When examining the impact that music has on the culture...
Jewel Ackah (c. 1945 – 27 April 2018) was a Ghanaian highlife and gospel musician. He composed the lyrics of "Arise Arise," the party anthem of the centre-left...
Ikwokirikwo (Ikwokilikwo) is a high-tempo style of Igbo highlife music influenced by Ogene, which gives the style its fast-paced signature. The style emerged...
from mainly Nigeria such as the traditional Yoruba and Igbo music and highlife with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted...
of Igbo highlife music that has its origins in the Igbo people of Owerri, in eastern Nigeria. The musical style is a sub-genre of Igbo highlife music....
on to win the awards for Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Highlife Artist of the Year. He was crowned Artist of the Year and High-life Artist...
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