Barima Sidney believes Highlife remains the backbone of Ghana’s music culture, a genre he insists will never fade with time.
He explained that even though Highlife may not dominate radio or streaming platforms like it once did, its influence is still firmly rooted.
“Well, I think as they say Highlife never dies. Probably we’re not having more Highlife like we used to have, but then trust me, even the young ones coming up, they all know Highlife is a pillar,” Sidney said in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Isaac Dadzie at the State House during the final funeral rites of Dada KD.
H attributed the genre’s reduced visibility to the attitude of some of the musicians who once promoted it. He argued that many of them have gone silent, creating the impression that Highlife has been sidelined.
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To restore its prominence, the ‘Africa Money’ hitmaker urged older musicians to adapt to modern trends, especially social media, to reach younger audiences and keep the sound alive.
“I think it depends on how we are also doing because most of us, we laid back. We’re in an era of social media and all that, but then most of us laid back, not forgetting that you can’t just stay behind and be up there. I think the Highlife artistes, it’s time for them to come out, be on social media, I mean let people know this still exists. I think we’ll go for it,” Sidney advised.
Reflecting on the late Dada KD, Sidney described him as a man of depth and principle, someone whose ideas were not always easily understood but who consistently stood up for fairness.
“He’s very deep on issues, you always have his own line of thought and all that, and I really respect him for that. And he is the type who wouldn’t stand for you to be cheated. He always fights, even if not for himself, for somebody,” Barima Sidney recalled.
