EVOLUTION OF GH MUSIC BY ADOMAA
The Ghanaian music scene, like all products has undergone a lot of changes. Each generation of Ghanaian musicians have added or withered it down to reflect global trends and/musical taste of that generation.
The music of the 50s was heavily influenced by European (British) sound. The likes of E.T Mensah, Lord Kitchner made music which leaned towards classical English grooves.
Independence changed it all. Musicians turned to make ‘Ghanaian music’. Palm wine (highlife) music popularized by Egya Koo Nimo, Nana Ampadu, Ramblers Band came into its own. In the 80s, all changed on the music scene.
The era of funk and pop music impacted the music scene in Ghana. A new musical genre Borga High life was birthed. George Darko, Lumba Brothers, Charles Amoah were leading proponents. The mid 90s witnessed the birth of ‘hip life’ and things have never been the same since.
The numerous musical phases the country has witnessed have been amply captured in the Evolution of GH Music by Adomaa, a new voice in this glamorous video. She captures each musical era with finesse and confidence- she flirted well with the camera.
The video opens with Adomaa standing in front of a mic with her hair adorned with rollers, singing the ever popular classic All For You by E T. Mensah. The others hits we’ve come to love followed. One of the remarkable things about her singing has to do with her ‘owning’ the song: singing it in her own style.
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Then there is the camera works- capturing the era of each epoch. It transitioned from black and white shots, to colored format. The costumes of Adomaa strike with the times as well.
Hip life, despite being the flagship musical genre of our time received just a ‘cameo’ (she did a hook of Plan Ben by Reggie Rockstone). The mid 90s to early 2000s was the golden era of hiplife and I expected more than a song in there.
Again, the classic Papa Yankson ballad Tsena Menkyen and Amakye Dede’s evergreen Sokoo Na Mba P3 didn’t receive much justice.
The best part of the whole video was towards the end where we come to see the amazing performance as a ‘day dreaming’ moment which she snapped out of it. Very creative.
Evolution of GH Music is an exhibition of creativity, a curatorial exercise of Ghanaian music through the ages till date; perfectly executed with sheer brilliance.
Watch it, sing along, invite the nostalgic feeling and dance if you must.
The Evolution of GH Music is powered by Reel Makers Studios
