Representations of Women in Ghanaian Highlife Music (1940s- 1960s)

Abstract

This doctoral thesis examines the diverse representations of women in Ghanaian highlife music from the 1940s to the 1960s. It engages a historical analysis of the representations of women in songs as well as how their roles as dance partners (nwuraanom), dancers, musicians and their representation in media can be read as evidence of their participation and contribution to the early developmental phase of the highlife music tradition. It is framed within the lens of post-colonial feminist theory, under which the constructivist approach to representation is applied in making meanings out of the diverse representations of women and reading these meanings as evidence of their contribution. Prior studies on women in highlife and highlife music have focused on their negative representation or the invisibility of women's roles during this period. This study explored women's invisible roles as alternative means for understanding their involvement in developing highlife music in Ghana. It also engaged a thematic analysis of selected highlife songs. towards meaning creation from how women were represented in these songs. It further engaged a discussion of the experiences and contributions of Edith Norteye (Adorable Adorant), a popular singer of the 1950s, who, until this study, remained undocumented, except for pictures in newspapers of the period. The methodology used was influenced by the social constructivist worldview towards meaning creation through archival data, interviews and the internet, given the historical nature of the study. The study confirmed that women actively participated in the popular performance space, and their participation impacted the compositions of writers and musicians of the period. These songs are a rich source for understanding women's activities within highlife-performance spaces of the period under study.