While both Highlife and Jùjú are foundational genres of West African popular music that blend indigenous rhythms with Western instruments, the key differences lie in their cultural origins, core instrumentation, and rhythmic focus.

Jùjú can be considered a distinct evolution of Highlife, becoming the dominant popular music in the Yoruba-speaking areas of Nigeria after the mid-20th century.

Here is a breakdown of the differences:

In short:

• Highlife is the older, broader, more “Jazzy” style, with the instrumental lead often taken by the horns.
• Jùjú is a later, more “Percussive” and localized evolution, where the instrumental lead is shared by intricate multiple guitars and the talking drum serves as the cultural anchor.