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From: med@astrovax.UUCP (Mark Dickinson)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.africa,net.music
Subject: Re: Ghana Hilife music
Message-ID: <610@astrovax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Jun-85 12:23:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: astrovax.610
Posted: Mon Jun  3 12:23:47 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Jun-85 23:56:57 EDT
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Organization: Princeton Univ. Astrophysics
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Xref: watmath net.nlang.africa:44 net.music:7766

> Recently I was in a store in Toronto, and
> was introduced by the owner to a recording
> of music that she said was 'Ghana Hilife'
> music.
> 
> She couldn't describe what exactly that was.
> Anybody know?
> -- 
> 'Big J' Alexander

"High-Life" or "Hi-Life" or however you want to spell it
is an uptempo, bouncy, fun type of music played in many
West African countries and perhaps extending into Central Africa.
It usually features a melodic mesh of staccato guitars, 
less emphasis on percussion than, say, Juju (another West African,
primarily Nigerian form of pop -- we've all heard Sunny Ade?),
and sometimes horns. I believe that it is a good example
of African musical ideas that have been lent out to the rest
of the world and then borrowed back by Africans; High-Life seems
to have drawn upon Afro-Caribbean styles and perhaps a bit from
American jazz. Recommended practitioners whose records should
be available in the US and perhaps Canada include Rochereau and Franco, 
both of whom have releases on Shanachie Records. Also, the Sound d'Afrique
compilations on Mango (I think) feature a lot of excellent High-Life
-- a good introductory sampler.

					Mark Dickinson