?Burgers? Regroup

That a star-studded line up of exponents of the variety of Ghanaian music popularly called Burger Hi-life will assemble in Accra for a mega show, is for real.

Remember George Darko, Charles Amoah, Pat Thomas, Lee Duodu, McGod, Okyeame, Rex Gyamfi, and ex Lumba Brothers?
They will be joined by others in their generation to bring nostalgic feelings to elderly Ghanaians when they re-enact their special brand of Highlife, which captivated Ghanaians in the 1980s.

The show, which will take place at the National Theatre in early 2007 froms part of activities planned by the German Embassy for Ghana?s 50th anniversary celebration.

Burger Highlife, which is a dramatic fusion of disco, funk and Highlife music, was created in the late 1970s and early 1980s when a number of Ghanaian musicians left Ghana for Germany in search of better living conditions.

According to Eleonore Sylla, director of the Goethe-Institute in Accra, the real story of the musical relationship between Ghana and Germany had not been fully told adding that this is an opportunity to highlight this link between the two countries.

Workshops on Burger Highlife, she said will be held to trace the origins and development of this type of Highlife while finding ways by which the two cultures had influenced each other.

As part of the anniversary project, master classes will be organised for musicians and sound/lighting technicians, which will involve rehearsals of old Burger Highlife tunes and the creation of a new form of live concerts and audio-visual recordings.

Media collaborators for the Burger Higher project include West Deutsche Rundfunk, Suddeutscher Rundfunk and Metro TV, who will have the right to create a documentary for public viewing in both countries.

In a related development, the French Embassy is planning a live Francophone musical concert at the Independence Square to mark the 50th anniversary of Ghana as well as its associate membership of La Francophonie.

In a chat with Graphic Showbiz, Francine Meyer, Cultural Attach? at the French Embassy revealed that Ivorian musician Tihen Jah Facdi and the Congolese sensation Luhua Kanza would join Ghanaian star Rex Omar for the concert.

She said all the cultural programmes, which were being supported by the French Embassy in collaboration with CFAO, will run throughout 2007 adding that specific communities in various cities and towns will be the focus of some of the programmes.

An exhibition of works by renowned Ghanaian photographers including Bruce Vanderpuije, Felicia Abban and Francis Provencal will take place at the new Artists Alliance Gallery in Accra and other regional capitals.

Walls of images would be created with photographs that tell the story of Ghana since 1957 while slide shows of numerous pictures will be shown at various locations.

The French-Ghanaian visual artist Maxwell Osei Abeyie would be in town for a two-week workshop with Ghanaian artists. Products of the workshop will also be exhibited in Accra and other cities.

Francine Meyer added that her outfit would organise an evening programme on Ghana, which would feature talk shows, music and discussions on Radio France International during the African Union Summit in Accra.

With all these plans for next year, it is evidently clear that friends of Ghana would certainly join her for its grand 50th anniversary celebrations in 2007 - indeed, the party is not a solo Ghanaian show.