Ghana

Ebo Taylor: Meet the Ghanaian musician who helped take West African music to the world's stage

Friday, December 04, 2020 at 2:42 PM by Edwin Lamptey

- Ebo Taylor is one of the veteran musicians to put African music on the world's map

- He works have been sampled by some of the greatest musicians to have ever come out of Africa

- After so many years of living and working in silence, Ebo Taylor is set to release an album

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Ghanaian highlife musician, Ebo Taylor, became one of Ghana's most-listened-to musicians in the 1950s and '60s, and his music is said to have had great influence on African music.

In a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on edition.cnn.com. it is reported that Ebo Taylor's music had great influence on Fela Kuti who incorporated the Ghanaian's style into his works.

Taylor managed to get his works sampled by international R&B artist Usher on his 2010 track "She Don't Know," featuring rapper Ludacris.

Ebo Taylor: Meet the Ghanaian musician who helped take West African music to the world's stage
Source: UGC

Canadian hip-hop duo Ghetto Concept also added a touch of the Ghanaians special style to their 1992 track titled "Certified."

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In recent times, Ebo Taylor's influence can also be seen in afrobeats songs which have hit international market through West African acts like Wizkid.

Ebo Taylor, who is now 84, is believed to be working on some new material and would be releasing an album soon.

The veteran musician who is based in Saltpond, has spent most 2020 in his home studio recording for his third studio album.

Since the release of his 2010 album "Love and Death," as well as his collaboration with the Berlin-based Afrobeat Academy in 2011, Taylor's international profile appreciated.

Born in 1936, the musician grew up listening to highlife music which formed the crust of his compositions.

"I was inspired by the pioneering saxophonist and trumpeter E.T. Mensah and his band The Tempos," he is believed to have said in a recent interview with reporters in Saltpond.

Shortly after leaving college, Taylor joined Stargazers, a highlife crew led by saxophonist Teddy Osei and drummer Sol Amarfio of Osibisa fame.

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In 1962, Taylor moved to London to study music at the Eric Gilder School of Music with funding from a government program put in place by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

It was in London that Taylor first met and collaborated with Nigerian saxophonist Peter King and Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti.

According to him, Fela used to come to his apartment in Willesden, and they spent hours playing records.

To prove their bond, Taylor said Fela drove all the way from Accra to Cape Coast just to see him in 1967.

After moving back to Ghana in 1965, Taylor started out as an employee with Essiebons Record Label which was started by popular music producer, Essilfie-Bondzie.

It was during this period that Taylor recorded over 10 albums and it propelled his genius which got him to work closely with Ghanaian music stars like Pat Thomas, C.K. Mann and Gyedu-Blay Ambolley.