Highlife originated from Ghana; Africa’s culture was influenced by Ghanaians – Pete Edochie

From music and culture to governance, let’s explore what Pete Edochie said about Ghana’s leadership in these areas across Africa.

Read the full story published by GhanaWeb on Saturday, September 7, 2024

If you ask any African historian, he or she would be quick to point out the impact that Ghana has had on the African continent and the world beyond.

From being the first African nation to gain independence to the impact that the country has had on music across the continent, Ghana has a rich story to tell, but very few people to tell it.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, legendary Nigerian actor Pete Edochie was seen highlighting the significant contributions of Ghana to the culture of the African continent and the world.

In his heartfelt tribute, the actor began by acknowledging the influential leaders Africa has produced, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Jomo Kenyatta, and Nelson Mandela.

He emphasised that Africa’s contributions to the world can be best understood through its vibrant culture.

“I am going to talk about the glory that was Ghana. That is Ghana. That will continue to be Ghana. If you want to assess people and their contributions to the world, you think about their culture.

“Culture is eclectic, culture is dynamic. And because of the impact of culture on the minds of people, Ghana registered an indelible impression on the minds of the entire African people on the continent,” he said.

He then turned his focus to Ghanaian music, paying homage to pioneers like ET Mensah, who introduced iconic songs such as “Day by Day” and “Ghana, The Land of Freedom.”

He also mentioned other notable bands and musicians, including “The Black Beats of Ghana, led by King Bruce. We have the Broadway Dance Band with Joss Akins. We had the Ramblers Dance Band with Jerry Hansen. We have the African Brothers with Ampadu. Then, of course, came the guitar band series EK Nyame. There were so many of them,” he said.

Pete Edochie also clarified one major fact about Highlife. Saying, “ In Nigeria, the popular genre of music is High-life. Where did High-life come from? Ghana. This is where it originated. And this is why, whenever you play High-Life, you cannot forget to mention that this is the home of High-life.”

Ghana’s influence, however, was not just in music, but sports as well, Pete Edochie narrated how Ghana produced the first internationally recognized African boxer.

In a hilarious moment, Edochie narrated how there seemed to be a race between Nigeria and Ghana on who could produce the best boxers.

“Now, when we come to the field of sports, the first Ghanaian boxer to become a British Empire featherweight champion was somebody called Roy Ankrah.

“But we got the world champion before you. Then you started producing them. We got the first world featherweight boxing champion, Nigeria. First world midweight boxing champion, Dean Tiger from Nigeria. Then we paused. Then you took over. You got Ike Klottey, you got Azuma Nelson,” he shared.

In the words of Pete Edochie, “It will be difficult for you to see any country on the continent of Africa that has pressed the world like Ghana.”

See the video below: