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0 Ghanaian artiste Maya Blu has expressed her opinion about calls on Ghanaian musicians to stick to highlife in order to promote the genre.
In an interview on BTS with Creatives, a YouTube series hosted by JoyNews’ Jacquline Ansomah Yeboah, Maya Blu said the world is evolving and musicians should not be restricted to just one genre. Instead, she believes artistes should be free to explore sounds that match their individuality and creative goals.
“The world has evolved and people are just doing what audiences love,” she said.
She argued that this shift is not a rejection of tradition but a reflection of changing tastes and creative freedom.
“Everyone is doing what they do best, and we have to respect that,” she added.
Maya Blu’s comments come at a time when many industry watchers and veteran musicians have raised concerns over the apparent neglect of highlife music by the younger generation.
Once the dominant sound of Ghana, highlife is known for its rhythmic guitar patterns, brass sections, and lyrical storytelling. It formed the backbone of Ghanaian popular music throughout the 20th century and heavily influenced Afrobeat, hiplife and other modern forms of music.
However, critics argue that contemporary Ghanaian artistes are turning away from highlife in favour of Afrobeats, amapiano, and global pop trends, which they say threaten the survival of Ghana’s musical identity.
As discussions around preserving Ghana’s musical heritage continue, Maya Blu’s position adds another layer to the ongoing debate about how young artistes can balance cultural legacy with creative evolution.
