The Ghana Folklore Board and the Ghana Cultural Forum, supported by UNESCO held a Highlife stakeholders conference to discuss plans by which Ghana’s Highlife can be listed as a UNESCO’s list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’(ICH).
The conference, was attended by some Highlife legends and some high profile dignitaries including Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, Smart Nkansah, Ackah Blay, Dr. Kwesi Owusu, Amandzeba, Ahuma Bosco Ocansey (Daddy Bosco) among others, talked through the roadmap by which the HipLife music could be preserved and safeguarded for future generation.
Giving his remarks, Acting President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) Bessa Simon pleaded with stakeholders to come together and promote Highlife.
“Highlife is part of our culture and we can’t afford to lose it”
“Let’s come together and work collectively to safeguard Highlife, again we can’t afford to lose Highlife music” He said.
In the wake of UNESCO listing of Jamaica’s reggae music and the rhumba music in Congo, the Highlife music conference was to seek among other things to establish a roadmap for Highlife music to be added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Stakeholders also discussed the need to create opportunities for further growth of Highlife music to meet current competition from Africa and Abroad.
Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh / Ahotor Newsroom
