Safohene Djeni: Highlife Legend Popularly Know as Nzema Bob Marley Reportedly Passes Away

• Veteran Ghanaian highlife musician and broadcaster Nana Safohene Djeni died on Thursday, September 3, 2026
• Safohene Djeni, nicknamed the 'Nzema Bob Marley,' reportedly recorded more than 100 tracks across multiple albums
• Music duo Wutah disclosed in 2017 that their hit song 'Bronya' drew direct inspiration from Safohene Djeni's work

Nana Safohene Djeni, one of Ghana's most enduring voices in Nzema highlife music, has died. News of his passing broke on Thursday, September 3, 2026, prompting an outpouring of tributes from admirers and fellow musicians across the country.

Tributes described him as an "Nzema Highlife Legend and Ghanaian Music Icon." Reports indicated he died after a short illness, though his age and the precise circumstances of his death had not been independently confirmed at the time of publication.

Safohene Djeni earned the affectionate nickname "Nzema Bob Marley" through decades of devotion to preserving and developing Nzema highlife, a genre rooted in Ghana's Western Region.

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His contribution to Ghanaian popular music was significant enough to earn him a place in historical accounts of the era, with music historian John Collins listing Safohene Djeni's Apollos among the notable guitar bands and concert parties that shaped Ghana's highlife tradition.

Safohene Djeni's influence on Ghanaian Music

One of his most celebrated compositions, Nea Ye Boe, extended its reach well beyond his own generation.

In 2017, highlife duo Wutah acknowledged that their popular song Bronya drew directly from Safohene Djeni's work, with member Afriyie explaining that the group borrowed melodies from the veteran musician as part of their creative process.

It was a moment that underscored just how deeply his artistry had embedded itself in the fabric of Ghanaian music.

In a recent interview, Safohene Djeni disclosed that he had recorded more than 100 tracks spanning multiple albums over the course of his career. His output was remarkably versatile, with performances delivered in Nzema, Fante, and Twi, reflecting the breadth of his appeal across different communities.

His contribution to Western Region music was formally recognised when organisers of the 610Music Western Music Awards named him among the recipients of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Listen to Safohene Djeni's Nea Ye Boe on YouTube below:

Safohene's career stretched beyond the recording studio

Safohene Djeni was equally known as a veteran Nzema radio broadcaster, a role that kept him connected to audiences and the cultural life of the Western Region long after many of his peers had faded from public view.

As recently as 2026, media platforms were featuring him in programmes that revisited his musical journey, including the story behind his 1978 hit Nea Boye.

His death closes a significant chapter in Ghana's traditional highlife heritage. The influence he exerted on younger musicians, his prolific output, and his decades of service to both music and broadcasting ensure that his legacy within the Nzema music tradition remains firmly intact.

See below for the Facebook post announcing Safohene Djeni's passing:

Highlife singer Boggy Wenzday reported dead

YEN.com.gh also reported the untimely passing of Ghanaian Afro-pop and highlife star Boggy Wenzday.

As tributes poured in from fans and fellow musicians alike, the overwhelming sense of loss showcased the profound impact he had on the Central Region music scene.

Source: YEN.com.gh