Celebration of Burger Highlife

Last Saturday, the Burger Highlife Show organized by the Goethe Institut at the National Theater in Accra, as part of activities to revamp Ghana’s high life music, did not attract as many patrons as observers of the music industry had estimated.

Indeed the show, which is an annual affair organized as the institute’s contribution towards Ghana’s Independence anniversary celebrations, witnessed the Ghanaian indifference towards the development of highlife music. Even though most Ghanaians have been calling for frantic measures to revive the genre, they woefully failed to support the cause when the opportunity presented itself via the Burger Highlife Show.

The show was not given the necessary media exposure weeks before the final ceremony though there had been a number of press conferences on it. Unlike other events which captured front pages of most entertainment newspapers and radio discussions, the highlife programme received little attention; and even that only came on the eve of the show.

Though the gate fee was a paltry GH¢5, Ghanaians failed to turn up in their numbers for the show, especially when it was about Ghana’s main music genre.

On the arrival of Beatwaves, there were no clear indications of a big event taking place at the National Theatre, due to the sparse crowd at the entrance.

Inside the auditorium, the number of empty seats was so heartbreaking that a showbiz critic remarked: “Until we show some commitment to helping revive highlife, it will not receive the necessary attention.”

Bob Fiscien set the pace with his deft touches to the keyboard as he doled out some soft melodious tunes to officially open the show after the Compere, evergreen Fritz Baffour had got the show underway. Burger highlife musicians such as Lee Duodu, McGod, Charles Amoah, Pat Thomas, George Darko and Ben Brako among others took turns to do what they knew how to do best.

Lee Doudu was exceptional, in terms winning the crowd’s praises. He got the audience to cheer him up, dance and sing along, with interesting rhythms from celebrated guitarists, Zapp Mallet, Akablay and Shamo. McGod also sounded enterprising with his pulsating unique gimmicks of ‘old skool’ boogies.

Ben Brako took off with tracks of his new album and climaxed with some hit songs of his old album, ‘Baya’. His act however did not yield the energy he was noted for.

Pat Thomas was perfect, and Charles Amoah added more spice to the occasion after him.

George Darko was the last to perform with his melodious tunes slowing down the dance thrills. Fritz Baffour added glitter to the show with some interesting jokes.

The high point of the show was when all the artistes together got back on stage to thank the audience for supporting the programme as well as their music.

The programme was attended by members of the Diplomatic Corp, including the German Ambassador, Dr. Marius Haas.