Veteran highlife musician George Jahraa has expressed his displeasure with the categorization of older Ghanaian musicians under the label ‘Adaadamu,’ which is often used to refer to old-school or classic hits in Ghana.
In a recent interview on Adom FM’s Entertainment Hall show, the ‘Ashikele’ hitmaker lamented the negative connotations associated with this tag.
He emphasized that it diminishes the contributions of legendary musicians like Amakye Dede, Nana Ampadu and other renowned artistes.
Using Jamaica as an example, Jahraa pointed out that icons such as Bob Marley are never referred to as “old musicians” in their home country, despite the age of their music.
He argued that the Ghanaian music industry should adopt a similar approach, where the works of legendary artistes are celebrated and not sidelined to specific playlists or weekends.
“I have been to Jamaica, and there is no way you’ll hear Bob Marley’s songs and have them tagged as old. How dare you say it’s an old song? How on earth will you call Amakye Dede and Ampadu old musicians? Why not play our songs regularly, instead of waiting for weekends to say it’s an ‘Adaadamu’ playlist?” Jahraa questioned.
Nonetheless, he passionately called for a shift in the perception of these veteran musicians, urging the industry to respect and honour their contributions, just like how Bob Marley is respected in Jamaica.
“When you build a house, does the foundation become old in the future? No, it’s what holds the house together. Don’t wait until we die to play our songs… it shouldn’t be only on weekends,” he added, calling for an end to the ‘Adaadamu’ tag.
The highlife legend urged Ghanaians to hold their music legends in higher esteem, just as other countries celebrate and protect their musical heritage.