Ghanaian singer Adina Thembi has shared the personal influences behind her love for highlife music, highlighting family and iconic musicians as key inspirations.
Speaking on the panel of Joy FM’s eighth Showbiz Roundtable, hosted by Kwame Dadzie, Adina recalled how her grandmother’s singing of ebibinwom in the Methodist church, which her mother also embraced, drew her to the sound from an early age.
“Amandzeba is one of the people who have influenced me heavily in highlife music,” Adina noted. “I remember listening to his music and thinking I wanted to take that sound, add a modern touch, and maybe call it my own.”
She also cited Akosua Agyepong, Princess Cynthia, and A.B. Crentsil as major influences in shaping her musical journey.
The eighth edition of Showbiz Roundtable focused on “Preserving Highlife as Ghana’s Music Heritage”, airing live on Joy 99.7 FM, JoyPrime, and JoyNews as part of Ghana Month celebrations.
The panel featured leading figures in Ghana’s music scene, including Professor John Collins, ethnomusicologist; highlife musician Amandzeba; audio engineer Kofi Boachie-Ansah (Beatmenace); Adina herself; and veteran producer Jonas Bibi Hammond.
The keynote address was delivered by Maame Efua Houadjeto, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, who emphasised the importance of leveraging highlife to benefit the country while preserving it for future generations.
A special guest, Carl Ampah, UNESCO’s National Professional Officer for Culture, offered insight into what it means for highlife to be recognised as Ghana’s intangible cultural heritage.
The live studio audience included musicians, journalists, producers, music executives, and other creative industry stakeholders such as Asah Nkansah (Kwan Pa Band), Dela Botri, Yaw Darling, Seven Xavier, and Tilly Akua Nipaa.
The programme, brought to audiences by the 2025 GJA Awards Entertainment Programme of the Year, Showbiz A-Z, was powered by Joy Entertainment with support from Joy Prime. It was moderated by arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie and emceed by Noella Karyne Yalley. Production credits went to Philip Nai, Anita Teye, Martin Kwasi Asare, and DJ Wobeti.