“The World of Funky Wanky Folks”

Abstract

From the dominance of soul to the frenzy of funk, from psychedelic rock to the reggae beat, Ghana’s music scene was alive and burning bright during the 1970s. New genres may have left little space for highlife, but Ghanaian musicians fused old and new together and used their own creativity to make a dynamic music scene that offered dancers a catharsis to offset the country’s troubling economic and political situation. This piece explores musical evolution, essential literature, and a playlist of just a few of the expansive offerings by seventies Ghanaian bands.