A Case Study of Highlife Music - Analytical Approaches to World Music

format was popularized in the West African sub-region. The social, musical, ideological,economic and technological backdrop against which Highlife music developed in the1950s have undergone several changes over time. These have significantly re-definedHighlife in new social, musical, economic and ideological terms. Highlife has thus, gonethrough a process of deconstruction. This stresses the need for a social reconstruction ofthe term ‘Highlife music’ in the light of current global socio-musical realities.2. Core and Periphery Model or Diffusion TheoryCorePeripherylevel 1Peripherylevel 2Peripherylevel 3Peripherylevel 4 etcThe core and periphery analytical model is an intersection of essentialism andsocial constructionism and represents in a way, diffusion theory. This model posits thatdespite the social construction and social immersion of the African popular music genre,there are some fixed traits which define it in specific musical terms. When a musicalgenre has been created through socio-historical and socio-musical processes, the socialand musical elements of its creation imputes into it a core essence which is recognizableand identifiable. From this core essence emerges peripheral levels of artistic re-creation19