Artists & Performers
Legendary highlife pioneers and contemporary artists featured on the Ghana Day Festival stage.
Future Lineup Announcements
The 3–5 July 2026 festival edition has concluded. Information regarding artists, special guests, and performance schedules for future festival editions will be published after confirmation by the organising committee.
Past Festival Performers
Distinguished musicians and vocalists featured in the festival's performance archive and past celebrations.
Pat Thomas
Highlife Legend & Vocalist
Celebrated as "The Golden Voice of Africa", Pat Thomas is an undisputed icon of Ghanaian highlife. Over a distinguished career spanning more than five decades, he fronted celebrated ensembles including The Sweet Beans, Marijata, and the Kwashibu Area Band. His soul-stirring vocal delivery and enduring hits like "Sika Ye Mogya" and "Gyae Su" have cemented his status as a master of big band and orchestral highlife music.
Sika Ye Mogya · Gyae Su · Mewo Akoma · Stay There
Kofi Kinaata
Songwriter & Highlife Icon
Born Martin King Arthur in Takoradi, Kofi Kinaata is one of modern Ghana's most celebrated songwriters and vocalists, having won the prestigious VGMA Songwriter of the Year award an unprecedented multiple times. Known as "The Storyteller" for his profound Fante proverbs and socially conscious commentary, Kinaata seamlessly bridges classic highlife melodies with contemporary rhythms in landmark songs such as "Susuka", "Confession", and "Things Fall Apart".
Things Fall Apart · Susuka · Confession · Behind The Scenes
Charles Amoah
Burger Highlife Pioneer & Producer
A foundational architect of the Burger Highlife genre, Charles Amoah began his career as an acclaimed drummer with Alex Konadu's band and The Precious Jewels before relocating to Germany in the 1980s. Working in European recording studios, Amoah revolutionized Ghanaian popular music by merging traditional highlife percussion with synthesizers, drum machines, and disco-funk grooves on defining anthems like "Eye Odo Asem" and "Fre Me (Call Me)".
Eye Odo Asem · Fre Me (Call Me) · Sweet Vibration · Mene Wo Begoro
George Jahraa
Highlife & Afro-Fusion Artist
Born Kwame Ekumfi-Ameyaw, George Jahraa is a veteran Ghanaian highlife musician and lyricist who burst onto the national scene with his 1990 breakout album "Driver Banza". Acclaimed for his buoyant horn sections, danceable rhythms, and relatable lyrics, Jahraa recorded enduring crowd favorites including the classic "Ashikele", continuing to share authentic highlife energy with audiences across Ghana and the diaspora.
Ashikele · Driver Banza · Hakuna Matata · Dedeede
Lee Duodu
Burger Highlife Legend & Lead Vocalist
Lee Duodu (also known as Lee Doudu) is a revered vocalist, brass instrumentalist, and composer whose signature tenor helped launch the Burger Highlife explosion. Most notably, Duodu provided the iconic lead vocals on George Darko's seminal 1983 recording "Ako Te Brofo", widely credited as the catalyst for the entire genre. He continued his influential musical journey with the European-based group Kantata and numerous solo releases, including beloved tracks like "Come Along".
Ako Te Brofo (with George Darko) · Come Along (with Kantata) · Akwankwaa · Odo Mani Agyena Wo
Kay Blez
Highlife Vocalist & Songwriter
Kay Blez (Kwabena, formerly known as Bless) is a contemporary Ghanaian singer, songwriter, and guitarist dedicated to preserving the romantic, melodic soul of highlife music. He gained nationwide and international prominence with his runaway hit single "Chocho Mucho" (featuring Kofi Kinaata), praised for its intricate guitar melodies, heartfelt lyricism, and modern highlife arrangement.
Chocho Mucho (feat. Kofi Kinaata) · Long Story · Medofo · Give Me Grace
The Sound of Highlife & Ghanaian Music
Highlife music holds a foundational place in Ghanaian cultural history. Emerging in the early twentieth century, it weaves intricate guitar melodies, rhythmic percussion, and brass horn sections with poetic lyrics reflecting social commentary, love, and everyday community life.
Over decades of evolution, Highlife gave rise to vibrant movements including burger highlife, afrobeat intersections, and modern contemporary styles that continue to inspire artists across West Africa and the global diaspora.
At Ghana Day Festival in Zürich, live musical performances bring this rich sonic tradition to life on stage, uniting generations in celebration.
Festival Moments on Stage
Memories of live rhythm, percussion, and celebration from previous editions in Zürich.
Live Stage Concerts
Traditional Percussion & Drumming
Community Celebration
Interested in Performing at Future Festivals?
Musicians, cultural ensembles, and artists interested in future festival participation may contact the organising committee.