History Of Highlife
Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the 1920's and spread to other West African countries. It is characterized by jazzy horns and multiple guitars which lead the band. Recently, it has acquired an uptempo, synth-driven sound (cf. Daddy Lumba).
High Life MusicDuring the 1980s, the West rediscovered the folk music of Africa. Afro-rock started with commercial groups based in the west, such as Osibisa.
The cross-pollination took place in both directions: western popular music adopted elements of African music, while African music adopted elements (particularly the studio techniques) of western music.
During the 1980s, the styles and genres of the various African countries, such as South Africa's "mbaqanga", Zimbabwe's "jit", Zaire's "soukous", Nigeria's "juju" and Ghana's "highlife", had a chance to develop and proliferate around the world.
A potential album regarding more traditional music is also in the works.
