Highlife was a celebration of the Can Do attitude that prevailed in independence-era Ghana. But Ghana has been through a lot since then and today, our nation often feels more like a thing we survive rather than thrive in.

Nevertheless, Ghanaians are as resilient as we are creative in the face of our challenges. And out of that resilience, new variants of highlife have emerged that may not sound as celebratory or popular as their predecessors but which still represent Ghanaian ingenuity, creativity, and a more nuanced hope; often blending highlife influences with lo-fi sounds infused with messages of love, community, aspiration and escape.

LO-LIFE is my curation of some of these sounds and influences. Showcasing music, artists, and practitioners from across almost twenty years of alternative Ghanaian music, each two hour show will feature music old and new, and an intergenerational conversation between two guests: one from when the alternative scene was just starting out and another whose time is now. Because Accra is really not new to this.

Special Guests: Mensa Ansah, better known as M3NSA is a British Ghanaian producer, composer, rapper, singer and filmmaker. Known for his recognizable sound and instinctual storytelling, while still being deeply rooted in his motherland, he has grown into an international sensation through the years because of his ability to navigate different languages, cultures, and art expressions. After the disbanding of The Lifeline Family - a group he founded and worked with as a rapper - he ventured music production and begun producing music artists including Reggie Rockstone, Samini, KK Fosu, Obour and Tic Tac. As a music artiste, M3NSA has toured with musicians such as the Wu-Tang Clan, and The Roots and his works have gained recognition from KORA Awards, MOBO Awards, and Ghana Music Awards.

Molly Ama Montgomery, better known by her stage name Moliy, is a singer and songwriter of Ghanaian and American heritage. With a seductive and engaging voice, she is an Afro-Fusion Artist who delivers all kinds of flames to Ghana's alternative music industry and has already featured on tracks for artists including M.anifest, Vic Mensa, Boj and on Amaarae's global smash SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY.

Kobby Ankomah Graham is an Accra-based DJ, writer, lecturer & PhD student. A practitioner within Accra’s creative counterculture for close to two decades, he has been profiled by the likes of the BBC and Culture Trip. Kobby started DJing in the early 2000s with London’s Amplified collective, helping to organize events for the likes of The Roots, spinning for artists like Erykah Badu, and experimenting with African street sounds two decades before the rise of afrobeats. He is currently doing PhD research on community within Accra's alternative music scene.