Ricky Tenneson aka Ricky Rick of 3 Music weighs in on the debate that the 2020 VGMA Artiste of year does not do authentic Highlife music. He made this statement during a discussion on Zylofon 102.1 FM following the release of NaaNa Blu’s ‘This Is Highlife’ EP.
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Take a listen to NaaNa Blu’s This Is Highlife:
“I will prove any day that what they are doing is not Highlife. You get it! If we truly want to represent or we truly want to sell the Highlife songs or Highlife genre properly – it is not what the likes of Kuami Eugene and the King Promise’ are doing. It may have been inspired by Highlife but definitely not Highlife.”
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According to the entertainment critic, Ricky Rick, NaaNa Blu’s ‘This Is Highlife’ is the one that he can confidently ascribe to as Highlife music
“But this one by NaaNa Blu I will clearly sign up as true Highlife music. If you listen to the singing, the style and even the element of NaaNa Blu’s This Is Highlife.” Ricky declared during a live discussion on Zylofon 102.1 FM in Accra Ghana.
Highlife started in Ghana in the early twentieth century and remains vital to the African music scene today. Popular Ghanaian Highlife legend, K.K Kaboobo has also mentioned in the past that Kuami Eugene is not a Highlife artiste and should not be classified as one.
When it first emerged in colonial Africa, Highlife music was distinctly associated with Ghana’s aristocracy, because it was performed primarily at exclusive clubs along Ghana’s coast. Most Ghanaians did not have the wealth or social status to enter these concert venues, so the music earned its name “Highlife.”
When Highlife began to gain momentum in the early 1900s, it was known for incorporating foreign guitar techniques, creating layers of sound and cultural fusion on top of existing brass-band and percussion traditions. Part of what makes Highlife a unique music genre is the method of melding traditional and contemporary sounds from all corners of Africa and the world.
NaaNa Blu’s ‘This Is Highlife’ EP which has 5 songs is currently available on all digital platforms. Enjoy: https://lnk.to/CruxNaaNaBlu-ThisIsHighlife
