Ghana began its celebration of 50th years of Independence with a burst of initial musical activities that included a panorama of all the varieties of Ghana’s highlife music. These musical activities (mainly co-ordinated by the governmental Ghana@50 Secretariat run by Dr.

Charles Wereko-Brobby) began in January with festivals in all of Ghana’s ten regions of religious choral music, followed by local gospel music that involved over a thousand singers, including top names like Josh Laryea, Bernice Ofei, Suzzy and Matt, Jude Lomotey, Grace Ashy and Akosua Agyepong.

Then in February came the ‘Kasapreku Opeimu Show’ at State House in Accra that featured hiplife artists Obrafour, Praye, Castro and Obour, with a northern Ghanaian touch being provided by the Frafra lute player King Ayisoba. On March 3 a nationwide series of ‘Highlife to Hiplife’ concerts were held, organised by Charterhouse and MUSIGA, with the highlife of the Ramblers, Wulomei, Asabea Cropper, George Darko and Rex Omar, and the hiplife of Reggie Rockstone, Wutah, Castro and Tinny.

Then came ‘The President’s Show on March 5 with the ‘classic’ dance band and guitar band highlife of Ebo Taylor, Blay Ambolley, Paapa Yankson, C.K. Mann, A.B. Crentsil and Nana Ampadu, as well as the youthful hiplife of the Mobile Boys and Obrafour. As this event took place at the Old Polo Ground in Accra, the actual spot where Ghana’s independence was declared in 1957, David Dontor and other Ghanaian actors also re-enacted Kwame Nkrumah’s famous independence speech.