Abrekyieba Kofi Sammy
Renowned Ghanaian highlife musician, Abrekyieba Kofi Sammy, who is also the founder and leader of the Okukuseku International Band, has revealed that he took the Ghanaian highlife music to Nigeria to entertain Nigerian citizens.
According to him, highlife music is never from Nigeria as it is being speculated by certain people, but he took it there, adding, “Nigeria is never the originator of highlife music.”
He explained that even though highlife is originally a Ghanaian music genre, other countries are trying to lay claim to it while Ghanaians look on unperturbed.
Abrekyieba Kofi Sammy set the record straight by saying that highlife music originated from Ghana by Ghanaians.
Speaking on Okay FM, Abrekyieba Kofi Sammy said as part of his efforts to promote Ghanaian musicians and highlife music in Nigeria, he took popular highlife musicians such as Ampofo Agyei (Mr. AAA), Dr. K. Gyasi, Obuoba J.A Adofo, Nana Kwame Ampadu, Amakye Dede, among others to Nigeria.
The ‘Yellow Sisi’ hitmaker mentioned that whilst living in Nigeria, he recorded a lot of danceable songs which Nigerian citizens danced whenever the songs were played at various entertainment centres including night clubs and pubs.
Through Kofi’s live stage performances in various parts of Nigeria, Ghanaian highlife music quickly gained popularity among the Igbo people and it became the country’s most popular music genre in the 1970s and 80.
The 81 years old highlife legend, who hails from Koforidua Asokore in the Eastern Region of Ghana, disclosed that he had twenty albums to his credit and most of the albums were recorded in Nigeria.
According to him, after gaining popularity in Nigeria, he and the late Fela Anikulakpo Kuti became friends and he later introduced Ghanaian highlife music to him.
Abrekyieba Kofi Sammy started his musical career with the Kakaiku Guitar Band before moving to the K. Gyasi and his noble Kings Band in the early 1960s.
In 1969 he formed the Okukuseku International Band of Ghana together with the late comedian and singer Water Proof and moved to Kumasi in 1970 and began recording with the Ambassador Studios.
Economic pressures and limited recording facilities compelled Kofi Sammy and his band to move to Lagos, Nigeria, in the late 1970s.
The band recorded two LP’s, but the brand of highlife was more popular in the East so Kofi Sammy and his band moved again to Onitsha in 1981 to record with the Rogers All Stars.
They continued to play Asante highlife, singing in Twi, but also added songs sung in Pidgin English and Ibo to appeal to their Nigerian audience.
By George Clifford Owusu