Stop Re-Branding Highlife To Dancehall And Afropop – Rex Omar Tells Young Artistes

Chairman for the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO)  Rex Omar has started a campaign to make the highlife genre has a strong Ghanaian identity.

The highlife legend has lamented how the young artistes are refusing to associate themselves with the highlife brand. This according to him is because they perceive it to be an old-fashioned genre.

He maintained that dancehall and the afropop songs released by these promising artistes have Highlife contents in them so should be under the highlife genre.

The ‘Habiba’ crooner disclosed his campaign would focus more on organizing fora and meeting stakeholders. So as to possibly brainstorm on how to make Highlife genre appealing to young artistes, presenters and Djs.

Rex Omar’s speech

“Why can’t we expand the genre of Highlife brand and put the sub genres of Ghanaian music under Highlife after all we will not be the only country to first do that. When you talk about Reggae, they have root rock, ragga, dancehall, lovers rock and still call all these Reggae so we can do same.

Any form of Ghanaian music should be put under the highlife brand so that the youth and all musicians can develop and in that scenario.  Then we’ll claim our own Highlife title and use the Highlife banner to propel our traditional music.

When you listen to their new type of songs they release everyday, it’s Highlife but some of them are calling it dancehall and afropop. Shatta has created his own type of Highlife because we’ve all ignored the Highlife music in a way.

The young artistes see the Highlife genre as an old school and outmoded and they don’t want to associate with it. You can’t play Agbadza and call it Dancehall and you can’t play Highlife and call it dancehall.” Rex Omar said.

Rex Omar made these comments in an interview with Kojo Preko Dankwa on Kasapa Entertainment on Kasapa 102.5FM last Saturday.