Origins Of Ghana Highlife (I) Osibisa's days of glory
Even though Ghana's music industry has come of age, it can be said that the industry can be attributed with several different forms of popular music, such as palm wine music, church choirs, singing bands, swinging dance bands and also art music.
The root music can be traced back to the early ages of Ghana's Popular Music from 1931 to 1957, which researched documents whose roots for modern dance music has emerged as a niche for Highlife.
From the West African coast right down to the Congo, as hired crew on European and American trading vessels, they transported instruments and stiles, such as the guitar and the concertina, the shanty tradition and guitar riffs, which met with the local rhythms and stiles.
One such famous group which has lived their glory days can be said to be, 'OSIBISA' which is best defined as a multi-culture group as on of the first African bands to have found international success with their fusion of rock, soul and highlife rhythms.
The group had solid roots in the highlife tradition as three of its founding members played in well-known Ghanaian bands such as the comets, stargazers, Uhuur and worker's Brigade. Based in Great Britain, the band came into glory in London in 1969 around the saxophonist, flutist and singer Teddy Osei.
Former leader of the Comets based in Kumasi, Teddy Osei, obtained a scholarship from the Ghanaian government to study music in London. He then convinced his brother, the trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Kweku Adabanka Tonto, a.k.a Mac Tonto, to join him in London.
The group gave numerous concerts in the United States, Japan, India and Australia. Thanks to its success in America, the group was commissioned to compose the original soundtrack of the Blaxploitation movie Superfly T.N.T, directed by Ron O'Neal. This helped them consolidate their reputation on both sides of the Atlantic.
Osibirock, the group's fifth album was released in 1975, with a sleeve taken from a Douanier Rousseau painting. The next record, Welcome Home, was also an international success. On this album, Ojah Awake, the sound of Osibisa was not as focused as it used to be.
The band seemed affected by frequent band members' changes and not playing with the same togetherness as before. Nevertheless the band continued to tour the world with its unique celebration of African traditional music and western influences.
In March 1977, Osibisa held a huge concert at the Accra sports stadium to celebrate twenty years of Ghana's independence.
The West African coast has for centuries been a melting pot, where music stiles and practices from various origins met.