I didn’t compose ‘Go High’ for NPP; They paid for copyright and used it – Philipa Baafi

By Dan Lartey On Jun 18, 2024

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) supported her hit song, Go High, during the 2008 general elections. The song was not written especially for the political party, though, as Ghanaian gospel musician Philipa Baafi has clarified.

The singer claimed that when writing songs for political campaigns, money has no influence on her decisions. Rather than advancing political agendas, her primary objective is to create music that exalts God and shares the gospel.

Philipa Baafi emphasised in a recent interview with Graphic Showbiz that although she admires her peers who decide to write campaign songs for political parties, she does not personally follow that route. Making political campaign songs, in her opinion, would be a departure from her divine calling.

The gospel music icon went on to say that she would write a song for any political party without taking payment. She made it clear that although she will not write songs, especially for political campaigns, political parties may purchase the copyrights if they want to use one of her songs.

Regarding Go High, which the NPP played during the 2008 elections, Philipa Baafi clarified that the song was not meant for any particular political party and was released prior to the start of the campaigns. She restated that rather than focusing on political affiliations, her songs are more about positivity, God, and victory.

“If a certain political party wants to use one of my songs, they just pay the copyright fees and proceed.” But that will not happen if I get paid to write a song for a political party,” she disclosed.

“That song is not what I performed for the NPP. The party jumped at the chance to use the song, which touched on victory, for their campaign and paid for the copyrights. Political party songs are not what I write. I sing about God, reality, and positivism, which is why people usually pay attention to my songs,” she continued.