Opinion: How tech is preserving the legacy of Ghana’s musical founders

Mixing Swing, Jazz, Rock, and traditional African music, legendary Highlife bands like Osibisa played a central role in taking Ghana’s creativity and aspirations to the global stage, particularly among European and North American audiences in the 1970s.

As music styles undergo metamorphosis, the legendary musicians of genres past – while beloved by those who’ve grown up listening to them – can often fade into the background as younger audiences seek out new music styles

At the same time, our editors and curators listen to songs across a variety of genres, taking into account cultural moments, artists who are pushing boundaries, and a myriad of musical characteristics like tempo and song structure.

Our teams then compile unique playlists like Ghana Throwback Party and African Heat to further drive visibility and discoverability on a global level for artists, particularly African creators

In this way, they are helping a whole new generation of listeners  discover older, but still impactful and beautiful styles of music, leading to established legendary artists like Osibisa finding completely new audiences.

Today, through playlisting, Osibisa’s music is streamed on the platform by listeners aged 18 to over 60, in cities like London, Amsterdam, Accra, Rotterdam and São Paulo, with songs like Sunshine Day, Ojah Awake, The Warrior, Dance the Body Music, and Woyaya claiming the highest number of plays.

As audiences continue to embrace the hits of decades past,  a programme like Spotify for Artists, provides artists and their managers with a powerful free tool to build their presence on the platform