‘Highlife music, source of livelihood and engine of socio-economic development’

THE Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has hailed the impact of highlife music, stressing the need for the Ministry to partner relevant agencies to support practitioners and traditional communities that keep the heritage of the country alive.

According to her, highlife music and dance had created employment for many individuals, supported the economy, inspired tourism, concerts, and cultural tourism and attracted global attraction by drawing researchers and cultural enthusiasts, among others to contribute to the country’s creative economy.

As a result, her Ministry, she said, remained steadfast in promoting, preserving the genre through which the country’s cultural heritage can be advanced.

Ms Gomashie said this when she read a statement on the official recognition and listing of Ghana’s highlife music on UNESCO’s representative list for intangible cultural heritage list on the floor of Parliament on Friday.

“The highlife music and dance are not merely artistic expressions; they are sources of livelihood and engines of socio-economic development,” Ms Gomashie said.

The ministry, she stated, would therefore continue to develop policies and programmes aimed at strengthening documentation, research, and archiving traditional knowledge.

Ms Gomashie disclosed that the Ministry was working to establish a framework that protects intellectual property of practitioners and making preparation to nominate another additional Ghanaian expression for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural (UNESCO’s) intangible cultural heritage list.

According to Ms Gomashie, the recognition by UNESCO affirmed the country’s history, strengthens its cultural identity, and performance on the global stage.

She explained that the history of Ghana’s highlife music and dance had evolved over the years and had become a symbol of cultural pride and a cultural bridge that connected generations.

“Mr Speaker, highlife over the decades, has inspired numerous African and global music lovers, shaped the continent’s music identity, and contributed to Ghana’s International cultural footprint.”

She expressed gratitude to UNESCO for recognising and listing Ghana’s highlife music and dance on its list of intangible cultural heritage. She also praised the government for its continued support to the creative arts industry.

By Benjamin Arcton – Tettey

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