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Joe Mensah
Joe Mensah (died 2003) was a Ghanaian singer and musician. Described as a music icon of Ghana, he is one of the progenitors of the highlife music genre and among the more renowned highlife musicians of the 1950s and 1960s. His hit songs include "Bonsue" and "Rokpokpo" from his 1977 album ''The Afrikan Hustle''. Mensah played an essential role in the creation of the Ghana Musicians Union and served as its first president. While in the United States he studied music at the Juilliard School and founded a radio show on WKCR at Columbia University featuring African music, which continues today. References External links Joe Mensah discography Ghanaian highlife musicians 2003 deaths {{Africa-musician-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Highlife
Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (British colony), history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions of African metre and western jazz melodies. It uses the melodic and main rhythmic structures of traditional Akan people, Akan music, Kpanlogo Music of the Ga people, but is typically played with Western instruments. Highlife is characterized by jazzy Horn section, horns and multiple guitars which lead the band and its use of the two-finger plucking Guitar picking, guitar style that is typical of African music. Recently it has acquired an uptempo, synth-driven sound. Highlife gained popularity in the genre "Native Blues" prior to World War II before production was shut down. After the war its popularity came back within the Igbo people of Nigeria, taking their own traditional guitar riffs and the influence of the Ghanaian highlife performi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
