Association of Ghanaian Unions in Switzerland

•  27.05.2024 07:14 PM

AGUS, the umbrella of all the Ghanaian unions in Switzerland would be organising the 5th edition of the “Ghana Day and Highlife Music Festival 2024” on the 28th and 29th June at the historic grounds of Helvetiaplatz, Zurich. This event is the first of its kind where a sub-Saharan African nation is hosting an outdoor festival to showcase its rich heritage with Highlife music at the centre of the celebration. This major event is a three in one initiative which involves the projection of Ghanaian Highlife music, showing Ghanaian cultural diversity and is intended to promote a sustainable integration and collaboration between Ghana and Switzerland. Highlife is a music genre that started in West Africa, along the coastal cities of Ghana in the 19th century, during its colonial era of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions of African metre and western jazz melodies. Ghanaian musicians incorporated foreign influences like the foxtrot and calypso with Ghanaian rhythms such as osibisaba (Fante) and later Ghanaians in Germany created a secular style of highlife that combined the genre with funk, disco, and synth-pop which was called burger highlife because the largest communities of those Ghanaians resided in Humburg. Today, Afrobeat stemmed from Highlife, which began in Ghana in the early 1920's. 28th of June  Introduction of the festival itineraries and setting up stalls  DJ music display  Ghanaian community introduction and traditional dancing  Speech from the Ghanaian Ambassador and interaction with attendees  Drumming and dancing display  Concert performances from Highlife music artists: o Kay Blez o Lee Doudu o Shaibu The Shyguy 29th of June  Ghanaian food and merchandise stand  DJ music display  Ghanaian community introduction and traditional dancing  Concert performances from Highlife music artists: o Pat Thomas o Charles Amoah o George Jahraa