UNESCO inscribed Ghanaian Highlife on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage on December 10, 2025, coinciding with the genre's centenary traced to September 1925. Live sets by bands such as Kwan Pa at venues like Accra's Zen Garden show Highlife remains a vibrant, communal sound. Officials say the listing will boost preservation, cultural tourism and investment while musicians work to engage younger audiences.
Ghana's Highlife Marks 100 Years with UNESCO Honor — A Living Sound of Accra
UNESCO officials see Highlife as a living heritage rather than a relic (Nipah Dennis)
On a humid Tuesday night in Accra, Zen Garden thrums with music, movement and memory as Highlife melodies spill into the open air. Families, friends and office workers sway long after midnight, white handkerchiefs twirling as revellers dance, sing and share drinks between plates of food.
Under soft lights, the four young musicians of the Kwan Pa band weave interlocking guitar lines and lilting rhythms. Their palm-wine–infused sets spark spontaneous dancing and sustained applause, showing how Highlife remains a communal, living tradition.
UNESCO Recognition and a Centennial
On December 10, 2025, UNESCO inscribed Ghanaian Highlife on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, praising it as a "monumental expression of Ghana's musical genius, culture, and global influence." The decision coincides with the genre's centenary: many trace Highlife's origins to September 1925.
"This news is just great," said Asah Nkansah, leader of Kwan Pa. "If you trace the origin of Highlife music, we can trace it to September 1925. And so, this year, 2025, we are celebrating 100 years of Ghanaian Highlife music."
More Than Nostalgia: A Living Heritage
UNESCO's listing elevates Highlife to a protected global cultural treasure, a move expected to encourage preservation, attract cultural tourism and spur investment across Ghana's creative industries. Musicians, fans and officials stress that Highlife is not a museum relic but a living practice embedded in daily life — from festivals and sports events to funerals and family gatherings.
"It's a reflection of the way of life of we Ghanaians," said Professor Osman Damba Tahidu, Secretary-General of the Ghana Commission for UNESCO. "It is not just a museum relic, but a living product."
Highlife's layered guitars, horn sections and storytelling have shaped Ghanaian identity for more than a century. Icons such as E.T. Mensah, Nana Ampadu, Paapa Yankson, A.B. Crentsil, Osibisa, Amakye Dede and Kojo Antwi helped popularise the form, which in turn influenced later movements including hiplife and Afrobeats.
Band leader Nkansah emphasised outreach to younger audiences: "We need to make a conscious effort to make them love our sound. We will pick the songs the young ones love... then we bring the same melody onto our palm-wine rhythms... by so doing, we are giving them the taste of Highlife." He rejected the idea that the genre is fading: "Highlife is not dying... I think we are rising."
Back at Zen Garden, as midnight approaches the crowd shows no sign of leaving. Handkerchiefs wave again, laughter rises, and Highlife carries on — rooted in the past and dancing confidently into the future.
