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About Ghana
Highlife
Highlife is a music
genre that originated in Ghana in the 20th century and spread to
Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other West African countries by 1920. It
is very popular in Liberia and all of English-speaking West Africa,
although little has been produced in other countries due to
economic challenges brought on by war and
instability.
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Highlife is
characterized by jazzy horns and multiple guitars which lead the
band. Recently it has acquired an uptempo, synth-driven sound.
Joromi is a sub-genre.
This arpeggiated highlife
guitar part is modeled after an Afro-Cuban guajeo. The pattern of
attack-points is nearly identical to the 3-2 clave motif guajeo
shown earlier in this article. The bell pattern known in Cuba as
clave, is indigenous to Ghana and Nigeria, and is used in
Highlife.