Zachariah Addei-Thompson

Zach Addei-Thompson conducted his BMus and MMus at King’s College London. His current research at SOAS explores the vibrant world of music within the Gold Coast, Ghana, shedding light on the intricate interplay between colonial structures and musical development. Through an in-depth examination of songs and musicians, Zach aims to highlight their agency in challenging the prevailing notion that West Africa remained ideologically, culturally, and historically static until European intervention. 

His focus extends to the rich heritage of West African "palm-wine highlife" music, delving into the ways in which colonial interests influenced, disrupted, or remained oblivious to the production, consumption, and assimilation of music and culture in the Gold Coast.  Zach's research goes beyond the colonial lens to contextualize West African "palm-wine highlife" music within the broader cultural and ideological movements of black musicians and their art.

His ultimate goal is to craft a history of West African music that centers on the individuality and agency of black musicians, challenging the top-down enforcement of colonial power that has historically divorced cultural, geographic, and historical productivity from the narrative.  His work aims to expand the realm of musicology and contribute significantly to the existing scholarship on African musical history, offering a fresh perspective on the dynamic evolution of music in West Africa.