Highlife recently turned 100! To commemorate this centenary, the Wikimedia Ghana User Group (WMGH) has launched the Wikipedia Highlife @ 100 Project, an initiative aimed at documenting and preserving the history of Highlife music online.
Recognized by UNESCO on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Highlife has long served as a medium of storytelling, and over the decades, has inspired generations of musicians both in Ghana and across the diaspora.
Despite its cultural significance, a quick review of Highlife-related content on Wikipedia shows that information about the genre, its history and artists could be improved. In some cases, biographies of pioneering artists, especially women like Donna May, known for the 1990s hit Adiza are not available.
As stakeholders in preserving and sharing Ghanaian history online, WMGH saw both a challenge and an opportunity to mobilize volunteers, researchers, and music enthusiasts to improve the documentation of Highlife music on Wikipedia.
Timeline
Project Scoping
The initial project scoping, aimed at identifying what work needed to be done, was carried out by WMGH community volunteers. An editathon was organized on 10th and 12th February 2026 to support this process. Volunteers assessed existing Highlife-related content on Wikipedia and identified gaps such as missing articles, incomplete biographies, and topics lacking reliable references or multimedia.
Their findings informed the focus of the project in the selection of topics for article creation and improvement for subsequent editathons and community activities.
Notable Women in Highlife Campaign / #FindHerHighlife Contest
As part of the broader project, and in observance of Women’s Month and Ghana’s Independence Month, the Wikimedia Ghana User Group launched a campaign to document notable women in Highlife who are underrepresented or missing from Wikipedia.
The Notable Women in Highlife campaign running from 5 to 31 March 2026, was prompted by gaps identified during the project’s initial scoping exercise. The campaign is being carried out through a series of women-only online editathon, some of which have already taken place. Contributors collaborate every Tuesday and Thursday from 7–8 pm GMT to create and improve articles about notable women in Highlife.
In addition, an in-person women-only workshop will be held on 21 March 2026, where participants will learn how to edit Wikipedia and receive hands-on support to contribute to the project.
Beyond editathons and workshops, participants can also take part in the #FindHerHighlife Contest. Submit the names of notable Ghanaian women in Highlife who have made significant contributions but do not already have a Wikipedia article and stand a chance to win internet data bundles. The contest is open to the general public and not limited to women.
Get Involved!
Through the Wikipedia Highlife @ 100 Project, the Wikimedia Ghana User Group aims to strengthen documentation of Highlife, preserve a century of musical heritage, and make information about the genre accessible worldwide.
More activities are lined up throughout the year, and will be announced in due course. For more information or to RSVP for upcoming editing sessions, email: team@wmgh.org.
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