Renowned Ghanaian Highlife musician and acting president of the Musicians’ Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bessa Simons, is pushing for the resurgence of live bands in the country.

He believes that this move can have significant benefits, including job creation and talent discovery.

Speaking on Asaase FM on September 6, he cited younger Highlife artists like Kofi Kinaata for setting a positive example for the current generation. He emphasized that live music is a vital platform for musicians to express themselves beyond recorded tracks and that it offers a unique opportunity for musicians to interact with their audience directly.

He shared an anecdote from a recent event in Cape Coast where Kofi Kinaata performed amidst rain, and people still attended.

“Coming back to Ghana, I realised live music would have to come again because that is the place where musicians can express themselves more than what is on the record. When you play with a live band, you get interactive with the audience,” he said.

Bessa Simons added that live bands help provide jobs and nurture more talents in the Ghana music industry, which could in turn lead to its growth.

“So, we need more live bands in Ghana. It also creates jobs for musicians, because when they play live, the sound engineer gets paid, as do the singers, backing vocalists, and quite a number of other people as well,” Simons said.

Bessa Simons' call for the revival of live bands in Ghana joins other voices that have attempted to reinvigorate the music industry, which many have said to be in decline.

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