Renowned Highlife musician Adangba, sparks controversy by linking Dancehall music to the growing trend of youth hooliganism in Ghana. He believes
Renowned Highlife musician Adangba, sparks controversy by linking Dancehall music to the growing trend of youth hooliganism in Ghana.
He believes Dancehall music’s lyrical content and energetic vibe are culpable for the increasing instances of rowdy behaviour among the young individuals.
In his view, Dancehall music’s explicit and violent contents is perpetuating a culture of rebellion, demanding the moral fabric of young people.
Adangba, known for his politically charged songs, told Graphic Showbiz that Dancehall music promotes a culture of lawlessness, disrespect, and aggression, breeding grounds for hooliganistic behaviour.
He referenced the Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale’s conflict at the Ghana Music Awards in 2019 as an instance of the bad impact of the music style, noting that the wild culture was common in Jamaica where Dancehall music originates.
Interestingly, Adangba blamed all of these happenings on Ghanaians ‘high taste’ for foreign things, noting that Dancehall had become popular because most of our artistes weren’t proud to identify with Highlife music.
“Presently, if you describe any of the young musicians as a Highlife artiste, they will out rightly reject it because they think the genre is for old people. We have opened our arms to every foreign thing and continue to look down on our own,” he stated.
He mentionedhow the music of the likes of Nana Ampadu and other Highlife legends shaped his life to make concrete decisions whilegrowing up without a father.
He pointed out that such ‘goodies’ and wisdom in music were absent in today’s music because Ghanaians had abandoned Highlife, which promotes their unique identity and the foundation of their traditions and culture for foreign identity such as what Dancehall offers.
“For some of us, we didn’t have a father or any father figure to guide us while growing up but we were able to make very good decisions that shaped our lives by listening to the likes of Nana Ampadu, and George Darko, among others for wisdom.
As Ghana gears up for the December 7 elections, fans of Adangba’s music are eagerly awaiting his next political song, particularly one in support of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.
Adangba, who is currently promoting his latest song, ‘Mapeneso’, disclosedthat he wouldn’t be releasing a political song this year, citing the NDC’s already impressive support from other creatives.
Instead, Adangba is focusing on his health, recovering from a successful open-heart surgery in South Africa. He was diagnosed with Cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, and wants to take his time to fully recuperate.
In fact, ‘Mapeneso’ is a song showing appreciation to Ghanaian entrepreneur Ibrahim Mahama for footing his medical bills.