The highlife guru Kwabena Kwabena is clearly displeased with Shatta Wale. He insisted that it is ignorant of the Dancehall artist to comment that Ghana does not have a unique genre.
According to Kwabena Kwabena, Ghana has always had a representable genre which is highlife music. He made this assertion on Okay FM during an interview with Abeiku Santana. He said, “ I think he’s ignorant about highlife. Because as I speak to you, Uncle Ebo Taylor is soaring.”
“Uncle Ebo Taylor; does he know him? Then he should revise his notes and come again. Highlife has always been there. Let’s respect. Highlife has always been there.” He continued. Kwabena Kwabena insisted that there was no need to hold a meeting to deliberate on a unique genre for Ghana, as suggested by Shatta Wale.
He also mentioned a few highlife musicians who are still relevant in the global music industry. “The group called Quashie Area Band led by Mr Kwame Yeboah. Go on YouTube and check it out. A year ago or two years ago, how many countries they toured?”
Kwabena Kwabena maintained that Shatta Wale should research before putting out information about Ghanaian music. He said even the world knows about the existence of highlife. People sit in their homes, and they receive emails to go and play highlife music outside the country.
He concluded by saying that such utterances like what Shatta Wale said are disrespectful to the pioneers of music in the country. And so people should be careful about the things they say about the industry.
By Grace Somuah-Annan|3news.com|Ghana