in 1911 a set of laws were passed banning the music known as ASHIKO and SIBI SABA or any other music of a similar nature along with the dances that accompanied them
These proto-highlifes became increasingly prevalent and both local and British authorities came to view them as serious obstacles to their own efforts at effective governance. These laws were a way to extend their authority into spaces and onto populations beyond their effective control.
many of the elders saw this style of dancing an music as rebellious and dangerous yet the younger generation saw it as a way of self expression
traditionally the elders always had the final say and their children obeyed all of the requests of the elders
traditional recreational music was highly gendered as to keep and connect people with similar life experiences together
colonialist brought more recreation into the area with recreational leisure clubs and music
Band members’ access to European instruments enabled them to learn a variety of musical forms and their successful use of imported instruments, appearing in European dress, and displays of military based organization set an important precedent for growing activist groups of young urbanites
Oftentimes, proto-highlife performances were occasions in which young men and women freely intermixed, identified prospective partners, and initiated romantic relationships
The young patrons of proto-highlifes aspired to become adults and elders yet they were also ready to redraw the boundaries separating youth from adulthood in their communities.
"At a basic level, these musical forms constituted a novel domain of urban pleasure, a means for young men and women to exercise creative agency and communicate their unprecedented experiences. For those who had left their rural homes in search of new prosperity, song and dance were ways to comment on the shifting allocation of authority, evaluate forms of work, and give advice to their peers. Importantly, such activities also allowed young people to renegotiate their gendered, generational, and social standing."
Plageman, Nathan (2012-12-19). Highlife Saturday Night: Popular Music and Social Change in Urban Ghana (African Expressive Cultures) (p. 66). Indiana University Press. Kindle Edition.
These proto-highlifes became increasingly prevalent and both local and British authorities came to view them as serious obstacles to their own efforts at effective governance. These laws were a way to extend their authority into spaces and onto populations beyond their effective control.
many of the elders saw this style of dancing an music as rebellious and dangerous yet the younger generation saw it as a way of self expression
traditionally the elders always had the final say and their children obeyed all of the requests of the elders
traditional recreational music was highly gendered as to keep and connect people with similar life experiences together
colonialist brought more recreation into the area with recreational leisure clubs and music
Band members’ access to European instruments enabled them to learn a variety of musical forms and their successful use of imported instruments, appearing in European dress, and displays of military based organization set an important precedent for growing activist groups of young urbanites
Oftentimes, proto-highlife performances were occasions in which young men and women freely intermixed, identified prospective partners, and initiated romantic relationships
The young patrons of proto-highlifes aspired to become adults and elders yet they were also ready to redraw the boundaries separating youth from adulthood in their communities.
"At a basic level, these musical forms constituted a novel domain of urban pleasure, a means for young men and women to exercise creative agency and communicate their unprecedented experiences. For those who had left their rural homes in search of new prosperity, song and dance were ways to comment on the shifting allocation of authority, evaluate forms of work, and give advice to their peers. Importantly, such activities also allowed young people to renegotiate their gendered, generational, and social standing."
Plageman, Nathan (2012-12-19). Highlife Saturday Night: Popular Music and Social Change in Urban Ghana (African Expressive Cultures) (p. 66). Indiana University Press. Kindle Edition.