“Burger highlife was initially a term for what was recorded in Germany
but it was extended to stuff from other parts of Europe. I think it is
more of an era thing than a specific country thing and I’m happy to be
on the bill.”

That was the reaction of London-based Ghanaian musician, Ben Brako to the issue of what business he had being on a show dubbed Made in Germany II scheduled for the National Theatre in Accra on March 8.

Ben Brako will appear alongside George Darko, Lee Duodu, Charles Amoah, Bob Fiscian, McGod and Pat Thomas at a concert to once again celebrate Burger Highlife following the sucessful first show held last April by the Goethe Institut as part of Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations.

Burger highlife is a cross-over style of highlife, disco and funk. It surfaced in the early 1980s. Though Germany-based musicians spearheaded the style, Ghanaian musicians in other parts of Europe also evolved a neo-highlife approach that found space under the ‘burger highlife’ umbrella.

London harboured a fair amount of Ghanaian musicians in the 1980s who recorded a lot of interesting highlife fusion. They included Ben Brako, Jon K, Thomas Frempong, Frank Bafi, I Amingo, Nana Bugyei and Mr Cee.

Ben Brako, who released his latest work, Adende, in November last year, said the work of many of the London guys were also milestones in the evolution and development of highlife.

Made in Germany II is being produced by World Rhythms in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut. It is being supported by Lufthansa and the National Theatre of Ghana with GTV, Citi FM, Channel R, Weekly Fylla and ghanamusic.com as media partners.