Highlife artiste Kwaisey Pee has stated that highlife is still a relevant genre but that it’s seeming unpopularity presently should be attributed to the works of Ghanaian DJs. Kwaisey Pee made this damning assertion during a phone call interview with Takoradi based radio station Empire 102.7 FM.
The highlife artist in a reply to a question on the reason why highlife artists including K. K. Fosu, Kofi Bee and Kofi Nti aren’t been heard anymore said this unpleasant phenomenon is the primary fault of Ghanaian DJ’s, pinpointing the young ones as they rather love to promote and play the songs of Nigerian artists more on their stations.
The host in trying to balance the conversation sought to ask from Kwaisey Pee if highlife was still relevant for the DJ’s to play it. Kwaisey Pee did not hesitate to point out how funny the question was stating that the Nigerian songs that they (DJs) like to play are highlife songs.
He mentioned Tekno’s ‘Yawa’ as a highlife song which Ghanaian DJs love to play and promote much to the detriment of highlife from Ghana. He said Ghanaians have this negative vibe towards things from their indigenes and that the Ghanaian tends to love foreign stuff to the neglect of their own. This he found amusing when in reality then Nigerians turn to mock us for this.
At this point Kwesi Pee revealed why there were many Nigerian songs on our airwaves.
The highlife artist said the Nigerian artists come to promote their songs in Ghana because when it becomes a hit here it will get them the hit status that they need in their home country all for just one reason, their songs do not get the kind of promotion it gets here, in Ghana!
Kwaisey Pee held the view that present music consumers seem to brand him as an old artist thereby seeing him as not a viable music option to listen and follow. This made the interviewer ask Kwaisey Pee why he doesn’t do a song together with his much younger brother Criss Waddle to get hold of the youth market as Criss Waddle is in bed with young music consumers.
The 2007 Ghana Music Awards Best Male Vocal award winner was hesitant to shrug off the idea as he didn’t think it will change much. He opined that his song with J Martins, who he says is a bigger artist than he himself, isn’t even doing well. He can do a song with Waddle if wanted to, but what will essence if nothing comes out of it?
The host ended what he said was his shows longest interview so far by impressing upon Kwaisey Pee not to worry that his new song, ‘Kyei Baffour’, will enjoy great airtime on his station.
The highlife star couldn’t help but find it amusing saying this is what he gets told all the time, but still…
