Hip life in Canada
The onset of hip life since Reggie Rockstone has been a transformation on the Ghanaian music scene. Ghanaian Canadian youth will not be exempt from this new musical trend that is transforming the African landscape. Beginning with the Azonto dance craze, the dynamic musical trend which has set YouTube ablaze has within the past few years. Kwabena Jay is up and coming. Earlier this year, he performed alongside VIP when they were in Canada.
It is interesting to know what are some of their musical influences and their thoughts about hip life on the Canadian music scene. A special notation on the radio station G.98.7 hosted by M.C Bonde African show which plays music from Africa will also be discussed.
This work is a documentation of Ghanaian hip life musical journey in Canada. Making music, loving music and living with music these are artist self accounts of their dreams, influences, and visions and what the future of their brand of music on the world stage.
The first hip-life artist I had the pleasure of interviewing was an artist known as Kwabena Jay.
Promoters such as afro entertainment, artistic developers such as ghanalinx entertainment, the use of the World Wide Web has made hip life easily accessible.
Hip life in Canada as it pertains to Ghanaians have been dominated by the promotional and party organizers such as Ghana House Entertainment and Afro Entertainment, Kofi Mogul and Associates who are noted for his parties and sponsorship of musical personalities such as VIP to perform in Canada. Also on the landscape if Tuga’s immense promotion of Sarkodie of Azonto fame in Canada. The connoisseurs of hip life are wide and varied and continuously crave for the musical tradition that was enhanced by Reggie Rockstone in the 1990’s.
How far can hip life music change or influence mainstream world music? Gradually with the recognition of artistic talent from Africa during BET awards sends a positive note. Akon, snoop dogg are the few African American musicians partnered with Nigerian musicians PSquare on singles such as ‘chop my money’. The use of African queen in the movies phat girls also sends a positive note to the spread of hip life and African music in general. This fact is indeed nothing new. Slavery of peoples of African descent has influence world musical landscape, from jazz to the blues to hip hop, rock and roll to disco. American history acknowledges the great influence of the music of the slaves as to the present era. The same can be said of African and hip life music. Although seen by the older generation as a musical trend, influences and changes in African music has also been cyclical hence, A reintroduction of variant reformations of African American music and other non traditions African music to produce an eclectic blend of music. There was a historical shift from traditional funeral dirges, to palm wine music, highlife music to burgher music and presently hip life.
As much Ghanaian enjoys their home grown stars, made in Canada stars are turning out to be the thing. In this aspect, I reckon to know who these stars are. Here in lie a personal observation and some interview to whom these artists are.
Canada can boast of Kwabena Jay, Maphia, Kcasty Luu, Freeman Nadawo, AO, V bLing
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