Legendary highlife musician Naa Agyemang, popularly known for his timeless hit song Araba, has shared intriguing stories about his career, inspiration, and thoughts on the evolution of highlife music during an interview with Blutut Africa on Plan B 104.5 FM.
Speaking about the origins of his debut album Araba, the celebrated artist revealed a surprising muse behind the iconic title track.
“There was a lady named Araba who used to live in our house years back, he recounted. Whenever I sang, she always complained that I was making noise. I decided to use her name to create something special, and when the song became a hit, she finally realized what I was doing.
The song Araba quickly became a sensation, topping charts and securing the number-one spot on the Top 20 Songs list at the time. Naa Agyemang shared an amusing anecdote about his efforts to promote the song: I traveled to Kumasi with money to push the album, but when I got there, the song was already a massive hit. I didnt even need to spend the money, so I came back with it.
Reflecting on how music promotion has changed over the years, Naa Agyemang noted the wys technology has eased the process for todays’ artists.
“Back then, promoting a song was a lot of hard work. You had to physically travel and push your music. But now, you can sit in your room and promote your songs online. It’s much easier” he explained.
“Despite these advancements, the highlife legend expressed concerns about the current state of the genre. Nowadays, highlife musicians lack some key elements, especially in instrumentation and lyrics” he said. The depth and quality that make a song last for generations are missing in many of today songs.
However, Naa Agyemang remains proud of his contributions to highlife music. Even today, I feel very happy and proud when I hear my songs on the radio, he said.
His timeless insights serve as a reminder of the rich legacy of highlife music and the dedication it takes to create music that stands the test of time.
Source: Blutut Africa
Discussion about this post