Ghanaian musician Bisa Kdei has called for renewed efforts to promote highlife music among the younger generation, arguing that the genre is currently facing an identity crisis due to the rise of Afrobeats and other musical fusions.

According to the “Mansa” hitmaker, many contemporary musicians are hesitant to identify their songs as highlife because of the perception that the genre belongs to an older generation.

“We have an identity problem, you know. Even though they are doing highlife, the way to position it or project it is a problem now because of the few genres that have popped up here in Ghana, especially like Afrobeats and whatnot,” Bisa Kdei said in an interview on Max TV.

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He explained that the fear of being associated with an “old” genre has made some artistes avoid branding their music as highlife, despite drawing inspiration from the traditional Ghanaian sound.

“People are, let me just say, a bit scared to tag their songs as highlife because most people also think that highlife is for the old, and that’s the problem that I think we are facing right now, but we will get there,” he added.

Bisa Kdei believes award schemes, media platforms, and radio personalities have a major role to play in changing the perception of highlife and making it attractive to younger musicians.

“Award schemes, we should change a few things in award schemes. We should get the radio, the DJs, the media to talk about highlife more to the young generation so that they can understand where they come from,” he said.

The musician suggested that introducing categories dedicated to highlife at major award schemes could encourage more artistes to embrace the genre.

“With the award schemes, I think maybe the overall award, if we make it like Highlife Artiste of the Year, it will push a lot of the young ones to do more highlife, yeah, and a lot is gonna change from there,” he stated.

Bisa Kdei also revealed that he has always been open to collaborations with different artistes, but named the late highlife legends Daasebre Dwamena and Daddy Lumba as people he wished he had worked with.

“I always wanna work with people. I don’t really have a specific artist, but I always wanna work so long as music is concerned.

He added, “Okay, I actually do have. I really wanted to work with him, but he is no more, Daasebre Dwamena. I really did want to. And I was supposed to do something with Dada Lumba as well. May his soul rest in peace, but you know he passed,” Bisa Kdei added.

@maxtv_gh “Ghanaian artistes are a bit scared to tag their songs as highlife because they think highlife is for the old” - Bisa Kdei, Ghanaian singer #Maxtv #BisaKdei ♬ original sound - MaxTV_GH