Renowned ethnomusicologist John Collins has revealed that the name Highlife was first recorded in writing in 1925, offering new historical context to the origins of Ghana’s most celebrated music genre.

Prof Collins shared this insight during a panel discussion at the eighth Showbiz Roundtable organised by Joy FM, which was hosted by Kwame Dadzie on March 14, 2026.

According to him, although earlier musical styles such as Adaha and Osibisaba helped shape the sound that later became Highlife, the term itself first appeared in a publication in 1925.

“The word ‘Highlife’ was invented in September 1925. It was in a brochure by the Cape Coast Literary Association for a band in Ghana called the Ragged Jazz Band,” he said.

While the name had already been used by then, Prof. Collins noted that the Kumasi Trio were the first to record highlife music, beginning in June 1928.

He explained that establishing this timeline is important in addressing claims by some countries that the genre originated outside Ghana.

The event also featured a keynote address by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, who highlighted the need for Ghana to derive greater cultural and economic value from the highlife genre while preserving it for future generations.

Another speaker, Carl Ampah, National Professional Officer for Culture at UNESCO, explained the significance of highlife being recognised as part of Ghana’s intangible cultural heritage, noting that the designation underscores the genre’s cultural importance and the need to safeguard it.