Highlife’ will now be officially recognized as an original product of Ghana

Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, Secretary General of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, announced at the Telecel Ghana Music Awards industry mixer that Ghana’s cherished highlife music will soon be recognized as the country’s official ‘intangible heritage’.

Emphasizing Ghana’s sole claim to highlife’s origins, she confirmed that UNESCO’s evaluation process encountered no competing claims from other nations.

“This year, UNESCO will acknowledge highlife as a distinct creation of Ghana,” Nerquaye-Tetteh stated confidently, following Ghana’s application submission.

This achievement follows diligent efforts by the Ghana Folklore Board and the Ghana Cultural Forum to secure international recognition for highlife music on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, aligning with similar acknowledgments for reggae in Jamaica and rhumba in Congo.