Highlife History and Different Types

Highlife is a genre of African music that incorporates traditional western instruments and techniques into African music. It started in the early 1900's, and is heavily influenced by Akan culture (Ghana natives). The genre came about when African cultures combines with the rhythms already found in Ghana. It is referred to as "Highlife" because it was originally enjoyed by only the high-class citizens of Ghana.

Highlife music is now the urban dance music of Ghana. While it has been around since the early 1900's, highlife gained most of its popularity in the 1950's, when the genre was split into two sub-genres: guitar band and dance band. Guitar band was created when musicians accepted the western guitar into their playing style, and became widely popular in rural parts of Ghana. Dance band was more traditional highlife music, and was more popular in urban parts of Ghana.

Example of the sound of Guitar Band music:

Example of the sound of Dance Band music:

Before Guitar Band and Dance band were created, the most popular type of highlife music was a sub genre known as Koo Nimu. It is the "original" form of highlife music, and was the most popular in the early 1900's before Guitar Band and Dance Band came about. 

Around the 1960's and 70's, the genre was very heavily affected by other cultures. The musical revolution that resulted from the experimental era in the western world somewhat carried over to other types of music, such as highlife. The genres that came from this time period are different type of Afro-fusion styles such as Afro-rock, Afro-beat, and Afro-funk.

Example of the sound of Afro-fusion type highlife music:

Around 1980, one of the most popular type of African music was Gospel. African gospel music's popularity brought another type of highlife fusion, this time with gospel. Highlife gospel also incorporates some elements of reggae music, as it was very popular at the time, both locally and worldwide.

Example of Highlife gospel music:

In the late 1990's highlife music became more widespread across the world. Outside of Ghana, some other countries that the genre was popular in include Nigeria, Britain, and the United States.
A third sub-genre of highlife called hiplife came about in the 1990's and is the most modern form of the genre. Hiplife still follows old highlife traditions, like using the same instruments and native Ghanaian languages, but incorporates elements of modern hip-hop from places like the United States.

Example of the sound of Hiplife music: