So I am going to check out this Soulfege concert tomorrow in Cambridge and I couldn't be more excited. I love this band like I am part of it (and it's not because a Ghanaian leads it). I am really beginning to love live band music. Being at Femi Kuti's Boston concert confirmed that too. The scene of musicians combining so many instruments, voices and movements to electrify the 'house' is just so 'beautiful'.

From some more sounds and scenes, am realising that I can't seem to enjoy artistes whose music I don't know. Syke! But live-band music, if kept clear (not loud), harmonious (not noisy) and involving (not performing), could be music in its best form.

This brings me to what I hope to drive home today. Y'all know I love 'hiplife' with a passion. If hiplife is really rap over highlife beats, why aren't more of these young 'professionals' performing with live bands? I remember I was at Asanka locals one day, enjoying fufu like no man's business, and I saw the most uplifting thing ever. Here was Asumasi and Kwaata band aka K.C and the Sunshine band (hehe) sending out melodies of Aboa Konkontiba, Ahomka wɔ mu, Linda and Fɛfɛ n'ɛfɛ. Probably more interesting was the fact that Prodigal (a member of VIP) was busy doing justice to some fufu (maybe ɛmotuo) at the next table when Ahomka wɔ mu was being performed. I drew his attention to it, and he smiled back at me.

If we really want to see hiplife go far, we should take it more seriously as a profession and not a rags-to-riches story. Hiplife musicians should make it a point to perform with live bands, in a way to really inculcate the highlife into their genre and make their trade authentically 'Ghanaian'. I think they would draw a lot of fans in this way and help them become better entertainers.
One hit every two years won't do it, no matter what the megahits or solid gold countdowns say. Miming over microphones and 'lemme hear you say yeah' definitely won't get the 'job' done.[/quote]