Highlife isn’t dead, it’s just off the radio

Kafui Dey told Max Morning Show on Max TV as monitored by MyNewGh that Ghanaian music, particularly highlife, remains alive but often goes unnoticed because of the choices made by radio and TV presenters.

“Highlife is just what we are not hearing on the radio. If you go into the villages, people are still enjoying their highlife,” he said.

According to Dey, media personalities are taste makers, and they have a responsibility to highlight quality music from across Ghana, not just the popular Afrobeats dominating the airwaves.

“If our DJs are playing 90% Afrobeats, you will think highlife is dead. But it’s very much alive,” he added.

Dey also reflected on the power of media to elevate new talent. He shared a story about a BBC presenter, John Peele, who supported underground musicians by giving them midnight airplay.

“For a lot of musicians, that was the only place they had airtime. That’s the power of media. You can actually change lives if you play music for love, not just money.”

He urged presenters to broaden their musical taste and appreciate Ghanaian traditional music.

“Traditional music is not dead. Go to any village, funeral, or wedding, you see it alive. Presenters have the power; they just need to use it.”