MUSIGA Asks Ambolley, KOD To ‘Hold Their Peace’1 min read

In a statement issued and signed by the union’s Acting President Bessa Simons, MUSIGA also asked music fans to stoking up the fires of the feud.

MUSIGA indicated that it believes both Ambolley and KOD “are passionate about the growth, development and preservation of highlife music.”

It also expressed belief that the awards scheme cited by both Ambolley and KOD in their fight; the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), and others “all have good intentions for the Ghanaian music industry in general, and highlife music in particular.”

Finally, MUSIGA revealed that the National Folklore Board has applied to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for Highlife music to be listed as part of Ghana’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

See the entire April 13 2023 statement below:

In a March 2023 interview, Ambolley asserted that the premier and flagship music awards scheme VGMAs has over the years sidelined Ghana’s indegenous music Highlife for foreign genres such as Jamaiaca’s Reggae/Dancehall.

By so doing, Ambolley argued, Highlife has been buried.

KOD, in reaction, called Ambolley’s opinion “nonsense,” arguing that the Highlife musician had failed to evolve with the times and was now blaming an awards scheme which, in his opinion, has offered great support to Highlife music and its artistes.

From here, Ambolley called KOD “shallow-minded” and KOD in turn called him “insincere” and a “charlatan.”