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Hip Life Music: Re-Defining Ghanaian Culture (1990-2012)

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Hip Life Music: Re-Defining Ghanaian Culture (1990-2012) ' ! HIP LIFE MUSIC: RE-DEFINING GHANAIAN CULTURE (1990-2012) ISAAC RICHARD NII KWAKU AKRONG A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA OCTOBER 2012 ©ISAAC R.N.K. AKRONG, 2012 I I . ! ,, . Abstract African music is full of life ... we have different ethnic groups, different languages and cultures, moods, shades; it's so dynamic, and we have a message. (Diana Hopeson, p.c. 2006) My research documents the hip life popular music story from 1990 to 2012, from pre- through post-inception, as driven by rapper and dancer Reggie Rockstone. The histories of European colonization in Ghana, and its shaping. By highlife and American hip hop (via globalization) into hip life music are explored through an insider's lens. This is evidenced by the traditional influencing of the popular culture of hip life. In this 22-year development period, I interconnect the domains of ethnomusicology, African/cultural studies, cmthropology, popular music studies, and dance ethnography, drawing on relevant theories. The few studies dedicated solely to hip life in the ethnomusicology discipline at this time precipitate this study. Artist apprenticeship, social impacts, formal education and peer transmission are explored against the backdrop of authenticity, reception, transculturation and mimetic models that shape th(~ meanings of the discussions (traditional versus popular musics). The creativity, subgenres, and related agencies are treated here as well. Hip life has come to stay as Ghanaian popular music. It invokes the tradition's transformations into the modem: as evident in the works of artists from Obrafour, Obour, Tinny, King Ayisoba to Rockstone, the message of African storytelling through rap is deeply hinged on the anchors of the ancient court practice of libation ceremonies. Ghana's Adaha traditional music (of circa 1888) was a strong influence on highlife music through the 1920s, and later, on hip life, ii and can be seen as an encapsulation of Ghana's history. Ghanaian airwaves cuvently play a broad spectrum of sub genres of hip life music across the country. I explore the connections and collaborations among rap, traditional hip life, hip dia, danceh~ll hip life, soca hip life, rag life, twi pop, D-style, accapela hip life, gospel hip life. The hip life I celebration comes at a juncture where we also mark the homecoming of hip hop- as traditional music from Africa, to America, and back. Hip life thereby invokes ~e transplantation of millions of enslaved Africans (with their musics) to the Am~ricas over the generations. On the other hand hip life is thriving in an industry previously, dominated by highlife music. Hence a modem day generational shift and critical reception is experienced. The lyrical content and the use of proverbs by hip life artists (including K waw Kesse, King of the Street) speak loud and clear on contemporary social issues. This also is seen in the work of A Plus (in his Letter to the West), the Fela Kuti of hip life musiG political commentary. Hip life is popular beyond the ten regions of Ghana. It has established roots globally and is distributed around the world to reach the diaspora. This entry of hip life into the world music spectrum has significantly increased the presence of Ghanaian identity to the body of popular culture and music. iii I I Dedication I dedicate this work to Seth, Matilda, Christina, and Mildred Akrong, family and friends, and each artist in Ghana/the world. "Your happiness is my mission. " --Isaac Nii Akrong www.afridance.com iv I I Acknowledgements Thank you creator of nature, for guidance always. Aye ayeee feee, "eat and leave some for tomorrow" in Ga - signifying storytelling, that next episode can be visited the next day. There is still so much out there to explore, over generations of time and space. Hip life cultures, on the whole, have taken me through a useful learning experience in this study. My gratitude goes to everyone who helped in many ways. This includes my committee members: Professor Michael Coghlan and Professor Mary Jane Warner (my co­ supervisors ), Professor Trichy Sankaran, and Professor Sundar Viswanathan. Thanks also to Professors John Collins and J .H. Nketia (Emeritus), Robert Simms, Modesto Amegago and the late Mawre Opoku (Emeritus) for their input. Thanks also to Nii Kwei Sowah of the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana. I appreciate the assistance of Christina Alcrong, Ben Akrong, Joseph Alcrong, Nii Laryea Odamtten, Samuel Yeboah, Christian Namoaley, Leonard Williams, Kristin Force, Vince Arthur, and Nina Soyfer, and also Sean Bellaviti and Chris Butcher for their assistance in music notation. Appreciation of help includes the late Willie Anku, Otu Lincoln and Faisal Helwani, all of blessed memory; Frankie Lane, K.K. Fosu, Korkoveli, Reggie Rockstone, Okyeame Kwame, Lord Kenya, Tic Tac, Emmanuel Samini "Batman," Okra, MacTonto, Jay DuBlay Ambolley, Terry "Sir Robot" Ofosu, Ebow Taylor, King Ayisoba, Yacubu Addy, Kriptic, Mizbel, Manye Mercy, Tina "Elivava," Emmanuel Arthur (DJ), DJ Amess, Yaro Kasambata, Greg Mingle, Panji Anoff, Jeff Quaye (a.k.a. Jay Q), Nathaniel (a.k.a. Natibongo), Ms Yaa Attafua, Mr. B. K. Bosumprah and many others I have not mentioned here, for their useful contributions in the fieldwork for this dissertation. v ~ I Table of Contents Abstract...................................................................................... II Dedication ................................................................................. ~. IV Acknowledgements ....................................................................... ~. v Table of Contents .......................................................................... ·'· VI A Word <)n Language...................................................................... IX List of Tables . ... .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. x List of Figures................................. x Introduction . .. .. 1 Origin and Focus .. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,......................................................................... 1 Dissertation Outline ....................................................................... '. 3 Summary of the Chapters ...........................................................'. 4 Scope of the Research Project . .. 5 Background on the Research Project............................................ 6 Sources of Research Data . .. .. .. .. 9 Primary Research Data .......................................................... ;. 9 Secondary Research Data or Related Genres. 10 Tertiary Research Data............................................................. 10 Authenticity of Information....................................................... 11 Research Method and Qualifications . .. 11 CHAPT18:R 1. Experience in Fieldwork and Literature........................................ 13 1.1. Field Experience ............................................................ ~... 13 1.2. Participant-Observation and Ethnographic Interviews (POEI) ....................................................................... 16 1.3. Quantitative Approach......................................................... 17 1.4. Qualitative Approach......................................................... 18 1.5. Ethnography, Ethnology, and Ethnomethodology (The 3Es) ....... ··:- 20 1.6. Literature Review: Textual Gymnastics.................................. 21 1.6.1. Perspectives on Ghanaian Sounds............................... 25 1.6.1.1. Traditional Music~....................................... 29 1.6.2. Three Positions in Hip Life Music............................... 45 2. Local Wisdom and Theories ........................... ~ ......................... ~.. 50 2.1. Traditional Expressive Performative Forms ............................ : . 50 2.1.1. Cross Cultural Parallels to Hip Life ............................ :... 51 2.2. Theories of Acculturation . .. .. .. ....... 53 2.2.1. Transculturation and Syncretism ............................. ~.. 54 vi I ! 2.2.2. Mimesis and Traditional Transformations in the Ghanaian Performing Arts Scene . .. 5 5 2.2.3. Mimesis and Gender in the Performing Arts ............... ··~· 57 2.2.4. The Origins and Function of Complex Music and Dance .. : 61 2.2.5. Pre- and Post-Colonialism and the Performing Arts ...... ·~· 62 2.2.6. Music and Dance for Film and Video . 64 2.2.6.1. Life Style: Mimic Plots .............................. ~. 66 2.2.6.2. Fashion, Singing and Acting Reproduction ....... •.. 68 2.2.6.3. Inventing Music and Dance................................. 69 2.3. Applied Theories of Representation ..................................... ~··· 74 2.3.1. Representation: Ghanaian Music and Dance in Fusion · and Practice ........................................................... 77 2.3 .2. Modes and Theories of Representation ....................... :... 80 2.4. Authenticity in Hip Life ...................................................•.. · 83 2.5. Language and Ethnicity in the Field: Pathways to Understanding Music Making .................................................................... 89 I 3. Traditional and Popular Music, Highlife and Hip Life Music .......... : . 93 3 .1. Roots and Connections of Ghanaian Music ........................................... 93 3.2. Traditional Ghanaian Music ................................................... 94 3.2.1. Kpanlogo-ing and Hip life (ee-lolo hip
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