The Genius Of Amakye Dede: How His Music Showed Me The Soul Of Highlife

​​Ghana has become a major player in the African entertainment industry thanks to its wealth of talented actors, filmmakers, producers, and artists. Nonetheless, Daniel Amakye Dede, better known by his stage name Amakye Dede, is one of Ghana's top veteran musicians. The Ghanaian artist was born on January 5, 1954, and his perseverance and hard work have made him one of the most well-known figures in the country's music industry, with fans all over.

The passion of Amakye Dede’s craft has made him a successful musician

Ghanaian musicians come from a variety of genres, including gospel, reggae, highlife, and rap. Great musicians from the past, including Smart Nkansah, Pat Thomas, Gyedu Blay-Ambulley, Daddy Olumba, Afro-Moses, Kodwo Antwi, Koo Nimo, and A. B. Crentil, as well as our current generation, Amerado, Stone Boy, Shatta Wale, Blakk Raster, Kofi Kinaata, and others, have not only had a significant impact on Ghana's music scene but have also encouraged more young people to pursue careers in the field.

I must admit that even though Ghana has great musicians, I don't like highlife music much, but I have a slight feeling that one day a song by a Ghanaian artist will make me fall in love with it. I must clarify that stating that I do not enjoy highlife music does not imply that I hate the highlife genre. The fact is that being the eldest son of eight siblings, I grew up in a setting where I understood that one must work hard to have a better profession because I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth.

Therefore, just listening to the words of reggae songs like Jimmy Cliff's "Struggling Man" and "Hard Road To Travel" makes me realize that life is really difficult and that I must move on without looking back. I, therefore, saw reggae music as a tool to rely on for my survival after listening to the words of those uplifting and motivational songs. That's one of the reasons I fell more in love with reggae music than any other genre, ignoring the amazing songs that have shaped Ghanaian music over the years.

I was listening to a radio disc jockey in Accra when someone allegedly requested a particular song of Amakye Dede. Little did I know that this specific song would win my heart and make highlife music more appealing, giving it better attention. The song "Sufre Wo Nyame" was the one that was requested. In addition to stealing my heart, the incredible piano introduction of the song, together with its combined motivating lyrics and lovely melodic beat, instantly made me fall in love with highlife.

Since then, I've been learning more about Ghanaian musicians in the highlife genre. A lot of things have a purpose. In the 1980s, the plane I boarded from Nigeria stopped in Ghana en route to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The great musician, Amakye Dede, was one of the people who boarded the airplane from Accra. Although I knew who he was, I was unable to speak to him because other people were settling in. That West Africa flight touched down in Guinea and Liberia before Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Years later, when I went to the Accra driving license office to renew my license, I was extremely happy when I met the creative and energetic Amakye Dede in person. I had the chance to speak to him there and told him about the airplane he had joined, which I was in at that time. He confirmed it and informed me that the United Nations had invited him to take part in a program. How wonderful it was to meet this soulful musician whose music has inspired my love for Ghanaian highlife to this day.