Top of the Pops, Accra '96

October 10, 2007 8:50 AM

Looking to find pop music that was big in Ghana in 1996.

Was there in '96 (specifically in Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi, if that matters). Stupidly did not buy any of the pop music that I heard everywhere, or even find out who sang it. Have been kicking myself for years, because a few of the tunes are stuck in my head, but I have no idea who sang them or what they were called. Would love to hear them again.

For clarification, I am not asking about the traditional drum music.

(Inspired by another of today's questions about pop music in Spain.)

posted by blapst to media & arts (9 comments total)

Ask this chap.
posted by the cuban at 9:32 AM on October 10, 2007

or post a question here
posted by the cuban at 9:33 AM on October 10, 2007

If you can find a way to contact him, John Collins, the director of UG-Legon's music program, is THE man to talk to. He would gladly help you with your query, and is an all-around far-out dude as well.

I'll post again if I can turn up his e-mail address.
posted by boots at 11:33 AM on October 10, 2007

www.matsuli.blogspot.com is a great and fun source for African music, with loads of free downloads and samples. Run by a great guy, too, who I am sure would help you if you wrote him.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 12:41 PM on October 10, 2007

Here's John Collins' email address:

jcollins(a)ug[dot]edu{dot}gh

Try sending him an email. He specializes in African pop music, and he undoubtedly knows the biggest acts of the mid-90s.

And do report back with the results, please.
posted by boots at 1:35 PM on October 10, 2007

You might also want to e-mail Jon Kertzer, who has an amazing three-hour African music show on Seattle's KEXP.
posted by mdonley at 2:39 PM on October 10, 2007

Get in touch with Awesome Tapes From Africa while you're shooting out emails.
posted by clockwork at 3:27 PM on October 10, 2007

Some sorta first-hand help:

Something I can tell you about Ghana from having lived there and having done market research there, and that the Ghanaians all told me straight up, is that there is a lot of reluctance to change and new-fangled things (except mobile phones, which along with "filling stations" are two of the central parts of city life).

Where I'm going with this is that a lot of the pop music on the radio now is the same stuff that was on the radio ten years ago. And even in cases where the artists have changed, the songs still sound familiar.

What you want is a good selection of high life music. One of the longer-running and more-popular acts right now is Kofi B.

Also, if you can write out some of the remembered lyrics phonetically, I could probably spell them out in Twi for your googling pleasure (but you might have to email a copy since this thread will be buried by the time I get back from work).
posted by whatzit at 3:38 PM on October 10, 2007

sadly, the one i'm really looking for i think only has one lyric in the chorus, which is "jesu" and then is followed by a horn line that i could sing to you, but not really describe. if i get really motivated maybe i'll hook up my sequencer and post an MP3 of my memory of how the horn line went.
posted by blapst at 10:52 AM on March 28