UNESCO to List Highlife as Ghana’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

Highlife music, a genre deeply rooted in Ghanaian culture, is set to be officially recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage this year.

This announcement was made by Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, the Secretary General of the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, during the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) industry mixer held at the Palm Convention Centre in Accra.

Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh highlighted UNESCO’s commitment to acknowledging highlife as a product of Ghanaian origin.

“This year at UNESCO, we are listing highlife as an original product of Ghana,” she stated.

This decision follows extensive discussions and conferences organized by the Ghana Folklore Board and the Ghana Cultural Forum.

Addressing the longstanding debate regarding the origin of highlife, Nerquaye-Tetteh clarified that Ghana’s application to UNESCO was uncontested by any other country.

“We have put in the application and we haven’t heard anyone claiming it originated from their country. We know the history and so we are finalizing that,” she affirmed.

The recognition of highlife as an intangible cultural heritage underscores the genre’s significance in Ghanaian culture. Intangible cultural heritage, as defined by UNESCO, includes practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills that are integral to a place’s cultural identity.

This non-physical intellectual wealth encompasses folklore, customs, beliefs, traditions, knowledge, and language.

Highlife will join other music genres like Jamaica’s reggae and Congo’s rhumba, which have already been listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

This acknowledgment not only celebrates highlife’s rich history but also ensures its preservation and promotion for future generations.

The TGMA’s music Hall of Fame, which is currently in development, will benefit from UNESCO’s recognition of highlife, further cementing the genre’s place in global music history.