A lot of our favorite highlife artistes started with the guitar highlife before they moved on to what the collectors now call Afro Funk / Afro pop and all such names and categories given today. Artistes like K. Frimpong, Akwaboa, Dr. K Gyasi, African Brothers, F. kenya etc all started with guitar band styles as can be heard on many 75 RPM's on various blogs, before they evolved into the afro funk and other forms of music that crate diggers adore.
A lot of those highlife artistes like K. frimpong were just doing their highlife music and didnt categorize them as we do today, there were just being creative at what they do best whilst others specifically tried to start their own categories such as amongst others:
- Nana Ampadu - Afrohili
- Tony Sarfo - Afrosibi
- Dr. K. Gyasi - Sikyi highlife
- City Boys band - Adenkum
- Anonymous - Odo Nson
- Anonymous Fante Coastal Fishermen - Osibi
- Ghanaian Highlife Artistes in Europe around 80's like George Darko, Rex Gyamfi, Charles Amoah, Lee Duodu etc - Burger Highlife
- Kwaw Mensah - Kwaw
“The basic
characteristics of traditional music that are present in Yaa Amponsah appear in
almost all the guitar-band music which followed it. Yaa Amponsah was first
recorded in 1928 by Jacob Sam (a.k.a. Kwame Asare), a guitarist whose “Kumasi
Trio” represents one of the early highlife guitar-bands. The group also
represents one of the first Ghanaian bands ever to record palm wine highlife
music. Asare is credited as the composer of Asare is credited as the composer
of the tune, yet it is possible that the Yaa Amponsah riff may have existed long
before. The short song tells the story of a woman, Yaa Amponsah, who was likely
employed by Asare as a highlife dancer in the town of Apedwa (Collins, “African
Guitarism” 178). The narrator professes his love for Yaa Amponsah, declaring
that he wishes them to remain lovers even though their marriage is ending.
Numerous bands have recorded their own versions of Yaa Amponsah, yet even more
remarkable are the ways in which highlife musicians have creatively used the
Yaa Amponsah riff. Hundreds of songs feature this basic chord progression,
while vocal songs/melodies may in fact be completely different from those of
the original Yaa Amponsah.” ~ William
Matczynski [Highlife and its Roots: Negotiating the social, cultural, and
musical continuities between popular and traditional music in Ghana]
The Yaa Amponsah style that has formed the basis for many popular songs such as:
- Ogyatanaa - Yaa Amponsah
- Ebo Taylor - Yaa Amponsah
- Kwamena Ray Ellis - Yaa Amponsah
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Today's post features one of the finest guitarist in Ghana, George "Spratz" Ankoma Mensah, as he shows the Yaa Amponsah style... Enjoy!