Bessa Simons
The President of Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bessa Simons, has revealed that the union’s leadership “is in talks with government officials to design a support system that will invest in highlife music in the country.”
According to him, this initiative aims to ensure that highlife, which is the music identity of Ghana, is sustained for generations to come.
He made this known during the “Time With The MUSIGA President & Executives” last Friday in Accra.
Under Bessa Simons, MUSIGA has made Highlife preservation its core agenda; he led the nomination and engagement with UNESCO Ghana to get Highlife globally recognised.
His office partnered with Ghana Museums and Monuments Board to build a permanent archive and museum documenting Highlife pioneers like C.K. Mann, Daddy Lumba and others. From E.T. Mensah, C.K. Mann to Daddy Lumba, Amakye Dede and contemporary stars, Highlife is what other genres including Hiplife, Afrobeats and Afrobeats sample from.
In December 2025, UNESCO officially inscribed Highlife on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke