World Music Day, marked every June 21st, celebrates free public musical performances across the globe. Originating in France in 1982, the day aims to democratise music and foster cultural exchange.
The 2025 theme, “Un Monde”, meaning “One World”, emphasises global unity through music.
In Ghana, music continues to evolve. Ghanaian musician and songwriter Kwame Nsiah-Apau, popularly known as Okyeame Kwame, shared his views on the growth of musicianship in the country.
““After the coup de ta, some of the musicians had to travel outside Ghana. Some of them travelled to Nigeria like Kofi Sammy, George Darko and the others went to Germany and created “Borga Highlife music.” After Borga Highlife, I think the quality of musicianship for Ghanaian music, in terms of pop music stopped. It stopped for two reasons; one, because of technology which made music too easy to record therefore entry barriers were lowered. Secondly, because music was taken from the curriculum from schools, after the structural adjustment program by the World Bank and Late Former President Jerry Johnson Rawlings,” he recounted.
Dr. Amakye Boateng, a lecturer at the University of Ghana’s School of Performing Arts, underscored the importance of music education, challenging common misconceptions about its academic value.
“Music is essential, and gives an identity to people. So we must embrace what music does in our culture and communities. When you give the education music (somebody who has gone to school to study music) when you give him a musical instrument to perform, like composition, he never retires. But most of our musicians, at a very young age they have retired and I think is it because they don’t have the know how. What they have been doing all this while to rely on some intuition or sitting under a tree to get some inspiration and write pot some words. But in school you are taught how to do it so that Ty never run dry. Your oil will never run dry, because in your old age you are able to compose because you have the technical know how. So that’s the difference between someone who goes to school to study music and somebody who just picks it up as a gift. The gift can sometimes run dry for you, if there is no inspiration for you, then you don’t have anything to share,” he explained.
A vibrant wave of new Ghanaian talent is emerging, blending indigenous rhythms with global sounds, particularly Afrobeats and highlife. Yet, this transformation comes with challenges. Okyeame Kwame acknowledged the growing role of branding and technology in raising the global profile of Ghanaian music.
“In order for a musician to be able to survive as a musician and playing highlife music to an audience that didn’t understand what the musicians are doing, so the concept of pop music became watered down and became compromised. So I think the quality of Ghanaian music has been lowered, but the quality of branding and marketing for Ghanaian music has gone up, because of the same reasons—technology. Now there is social media and knowledge available everywhere and a lot of people have become educated. So the quality of branding, public relations for musicians and promoting music beyond the shores of Ghana has become a bit bigger,” he added.
Dr. Boateng added that while past musicians focused heavily on traditional sounds, today’s artists are merging Ghanaian roots with international influences, helping Ghana carve out a place on the world stage.
“Ghanaian music is enjoying some ups and downs. But for now it is picking up and getting its international recognition it should get because of what we are doing now at the school of Performing Arts and what some of the musicians out there are also doing. Some of them are becoming more conscious of Ghanaian elements in their music and that’s the only way we can get onto the international market to be recognized as Ghanaian musicians. If you talk about the Nigerians and South Africans, they are doing indigenous rhythms from their country and adding some foreign elements,” he revealed.
Despite the hurdles, Ghana’s music industry is on an upward trajectory. With highlife gaining global traction and more artists breaking through, the next decade could see Ghana become a music powerhouse if it gets its backstage business right. So next time you’re vibing to a Ghanaian jam, remember: behind the beat lies a battleground.
By Andy Oppong Dankyi
