Veteran Ghanaian highlife musician, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, has voiced strong concerns about the state of today’s music, cautioning that heavy dependence on technology is eroding its artistry and longevity.
During a discussion on Joy Prime’s Prime Time, Ambolley criticized the growing culture of quick production, saying young musicians often value speed over substance. “Shortcuts in music are not good,” he warned. “It makes your music ‘sharp sharp’; it doesn’t last.” The phrase, he explained, describes a fast-food style of making songs-convenient, but lacking depth and lasting impact.
Ambolley, who carved out a groundbreaking space for rap-infused highlife as far back as the 1970s, reflected on how much the craft has changed. In his day, artists were expected to master instruments, learn music theory, and build stage presence, processes that demanded patience and shaped originality. Now, he lamented, a song can be pieced together in a matter of hours: “download a beat, add quick lyrics, and upload,” often with little human interaction.
The lack of personal connection, he added, is another casualty of the digital era. Collaborations frequently happen at a distance, with little dialogue between artists. “When they send the music, I do my part, but after that, they don’t come back for me to listen to the entire song. Before I know it, it’s on air,” he recounted, describing the experience as impersonal and disjointed.
Yet, Ambolley insisted all is not lost. He singled out artists such as Kofi Kinaata, whom he praised for resisting algorithm-driven shortcuts and staying rooted in storytelling and lyrical discipline.
“If you don’t have good people around you, there’s no one to advise you when the path you’re taking is not the right one,” Ambolley remarked, urging younger acts to value guidance and mentorship as much as digital tools.
