Ghanaian Highlife musician Bisa Kdei has expressed his dissatisfaction with the promotion of Highlife music in Ghana, arguing that the country is not fully utilising the Year of Return initiative to its advantage.
“If people come to Ghana, what are we selling? Are we selling Highlife or Afrobeats?” Bisa Kdei questioned.
He voiced his concern that, despite the influx of tourists and diasporans during the Year of Return, Highlife music is rarely heard in clubs, which predominantly play Amapiano and Afrobeats. “I have been to clubs, and all I hear is Amapiano and Afrobeats, while the amount of Highlife and Ghanaian music being played is very little,” he lamented.
Bisa Kdei believes this lack of emphasis on Highlife affects the international appeal of Ghanaian artists. “When the diasporans and tourists come and all they hear are Afrobeats, that is what they will take back. So when people say Ghanaians can’t sell shows outside, whose fault is that? We are not promoting the Ghanaian culture enough. This is me talking from my experience,” he argued.
The Highlife artist shared an incident where he confronted a DJ for playing only Nigerian songs at a club, emphasising his commitment to advocating for the genre.
“This is our song, we have to promote it. I have chosen Highlife as my career, so I have to fight for it. That is why I’ve been very outspoken,” Bisa Kdei stated.
Bisa Kdei, known for some of the most popular contemporary highlife songs, remains dedicated to ensuring the authentic Ghanaian genre gets the recognition and promotion he believes it deserves, both in Ghana and internationally.
