MUSIGA Announces Inaugural Annual Highlife Music Competition to Preserve Genre

The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) is set to launch a national annual highlife music competition, aiming to enhance the genre’s prominence and global appeal.

This initiative aligns with MUSIGA’s goal to make highlife music a central aspect of Ghana’s musical identity.

Bessa Simons, MUSIGA’s President, emphasized that highlife music is intrinsically linked to Ghanaian culture.

By focusing on this genre, the union hopes to establish it as a defining feature of Ghanaian music. Simons announced that the competition will be held each year, with an attractive prize for the winner.

This effort is intended to motivate artists to create high-quality highlife music and boost the genre’s visibility.

Additionally, Simons revealed plans to enhance the highlife category at the Telecel Ghana Music Awards.

By offering significant rewards, MUSIGA aims to encourage more artists to invest in highlife music and solidify its authenticity.

Simons believes that by promoting highlife as a national brand, Ghana can attract global attention. If highlife music gains international recognition, it will draw listeners to Ghanaian music, rather than Ghanaians seeking international audiences.

Simons urged Ghanaians to support and promote highlife music, aligning with recent calls from artists like Adina, who advocated for increased appreciation of the genre to inspire more musicians to explore it.