Our people are shy of the language – Fameye shares why he believes Ghanaians don’t enjoy Hi-life music

Ghanaian Hi-life musician, Fameye Peter has re-echoed the sentiments of fellow singer, Abiana about the aversion of Ghanaians to using local languages like Twi in their daily activities.

He expressed his thoughts during an appearance on the Day Show with Berla Mundi on TV3.

Earlier, Abiana, with whom Famye shares a new hit single, Far Away, emphasized the unfortunate reality that even as Ghana’s cultural gems are appreciated globally, there remains a perception that Highlife doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves.

“They kind of were looking down on highlife. They are still doing it,” she shared.

According to the “Susuka” singer, Ghanaian artistes tend to shy away from embracing their roots in their music, often opting for languages that are perceived as more sophisticated, such as English because of how the audiences react to local songs.

“Our people are shy of the language. When I sit here and speak Twi someone will sit at home and feel like Peter[referring to himself] can’t speak English,” he disclosed.

Fameye also shared personal anecdotes about how language can affect both artistic expression and personal connections.

“If I like I’ll speak only Twi because I’m Ghanaian and that’s how I can express myself better. If I’m propositioning a girl I speak twi because that’s how I can do it well,” he said.

The conversation took an intriguing turn when Berla Mundi posed the question of whether he courted his girlfriend and baby mama using the ‘Akan dialect”.

In his response, he revealed that he spoke Fanti to her because she’s also a native of the tribe.

“For example, my girl when I started speaking to her, I spoke Fante to her to express my feelings,” he detailed.