Introduction For my research paper, I will be discussing the historical background behind three different African genres such as Jújú, Afrobeat, and Highlife. Along with providing the historical framework for Jújú, Afrobeat, and Highlife, this paper will also give a concise synopsis over the individuals credited for the establishing of Jújú, Afrobeat, and Highlife. In like manner, this essay will provide readers with a brief section over the expert musicians of Jújú, Afrobeat, and Highlife. The establishment of Highlife music Highlife music originated on the southwest coast of an African nation people now recognize as Ghana. Unlike Jújú music or Afrobeat, no one person can be credited for the eruption of Highlife music. Instead of one person …show more content…
2). The three different bands playing Highlife in the 1920s included brass and fife bands, ballroom orchestras, and low-class guitar bands (Collins, 1985, p. 2). Brass and fife bands became a common commodity of every respectfully regarded town in southern Ghana. Without a brass and fife band to play regimental marches and Highlife songs at a towns functions such as parades, picnics, and dances residents and visitors would be dispassionate and disappointed when town functions occurred (Collins, 1985, p. 2). Increasing another step upon the reverence ladder came the large towns that obtained vast amounts of admiration and worship due to the amount of wealth in the towns. “The large towns like Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi not only possessed brass and fife bands, but also, had prestigious ballroom orchestras which played Waltzes, Foxtrots, Quicksteps, Ragtime, Rumbas, and Highlife” (Collins, 1985, p. 2). Although brass and fife bands were available to the town's citizens rich or poor, orchestras, on the other hand, weren’t. Only the black elite dressed in evening dress with top hats and wealthy Europeans were granted permission to enjoy the orchestra (Collins, 1985, p. 2). According to Collins (1985), “the earliest of these was the Excelsior Orchestra”, this orchestra was actually formed in 1914, six years before Highlife had become publically established (p. 2). Collins (1985) also goes on to explain, “it was in this context of local melodies, like the Osibisaba and Ashiko, being orchestrated for an upper-class audience, the term Highlife was coined” (p. 2). Highlife music later intertwines with melodies such as Highlife and Yoruba to form the next subject I will cover which is the evolution of