Bessa Simons reveals why highlife now lacks authenticity

The acting President of the Musicians’ Union of Ghana (Musiga), Bessa Simons, has indicated that even though the young crop of musicians producing highlife music is “doing very well”, some elements of the originally Ghanaian genre are missing.





This, according to him, has taken the authenticity out of highlife.

The veteran music star, producer and multi-instrumentalist told Prince Benjamin on Class91.3FM’s Class Drive on 21 June 2021 that the secret ingredients in the genre that the young musicians are failing to add are the original highlife guitars and percussions.

“We have some young guys doing highlife music. Kudos to them. They’re doing well. I mean Kuami Eugene, KiDi… they doing very well but I think what is missing in their music is those little authentic guitars that we have, our percussions that we have. Even if they don’t want to use it more, just sprinkle it in there and it will give you that authentic Highlife sound,” the former Osibisa band member said.

Bessa Simons is a multi-talented musician with over forty years practical music and mentorship experience.

He has worked with big names in West African Music such as Pat Thomas, Papa Yankson, Kari Bannerman, Osibisa, C.K. Mann, Ebo Taylor and Multi-talented Afro-pop musician Gyedu Blay Ambolley.

Bessa Simons was a keyboardist with the Osibisa band. He is well known for his song titled ‘Belembe’ among many others.