Music
Nana Tuffour: the “9-9-2-4” highlife romantic who learned his trade with King Sunny Ade
Nana Tuffour, born James Kwaku Tuffour in 1954, started as a keyboardist, worked with King Sunny Ade in…
highlife
Arts + Culture
E.K. Nyame and the Akan Trio: the man who sang highlife in Twi on the concert party stage
E.K. Nyame (1927 to 1977), from Kwahu, founded the Akan Trio concert party in 1952, combining guitar band…
Music
A.B. Crentsil: the Prestea highlife man who made Ghana laugh and blush
A.B. Crentsil, born in Prestea in 1943, led the Sweet Talks in the 1970s and later formed Ahenfo.…
Music
“Kyenkyen Bi Adi M’awu” and the Cubano Fiestas: the highlife of Alhaji K. Frimpong
Alhaji K. Frimpong (1939 to 2005), born in Ofoase in the Ashanti Region, was a Ghanaian highlife singer…
Music
Daddy Lumba, 1964 to 2025: from the Lumba Brothers in Germany to highlife royalty
Daddy Lumba, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu in Nsuta, Ashanti, in 1964, began his career in Germany with Nana…
Arts + Culture
Highlife, lovers rock and soukous in one voice: Kojo Antwi, Ghana’s Mr Music Man
Kojo Antwi, born Julius Kojo Antwi in Accra on 24 November 1959 and raised in Darkuman, released his…
Arts + Culture
A laboratory scientist who became the king of palm wine guitar: Koo Nimo
Koo Nimo, born Kwabena Boa-Amponsem on 3 October 1934 in Foase in the Ashanti Region, is the leading…
Arts + Culture
They called him the evil genius of highlife: Victor Olaiya, the trumpeter who gave Fela a job
Victor Abimbola Olaiya, the Nigerian trumpeter known as the evil genius of highlife, was born on 31 December…
Arts + Culture
Was the first rap record made in Ghana in 1973? Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and “Simigwa-Do”
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley recorded "Simigwa-Do" with Ghana's Uhuru Dance Band in 1973, delivering fast, spoken Fante lyrics over highlife…
Arts + Culture
“Joromi” was a hit in 1969. Victor Uwaifo, the guitarist from Benin City, played it with a guitar in his mouth
Sir Victor Uwaifo, the Benin City guitarist and bandleader, became a star with "Joromi" in 1969, a song…