In March, the life of Ghanaian guitarist and composer Ebo Taylor was commemorated on a grand scale. He passed away earlier this year on February 7 at the age of 90, but the ‘One Week Observation’ – the traditional commemoration of the deceased in Ghana – took place on March 14 in his birthplace, Saltpond. The man who put West African highlife on the map worldwide was honoured during this ceremonial gathering and at various other memorial services worldwide,
Ebo Taylor rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, a period when highlife was hugely popular in Ghana. What made him special was his innovative style: he combined traditional Ghanaian rhythms with influences from jazz, funk, soul and early afrobeat.
He also gained international fame. In his later years, he received even broader recognition when his music was discovered by various international hip-hop and R&B artists who sampled his recordings.
His immense legacy was recently crowned with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award during the Night of Legacy in Accra. The music of Ebo Taylor was and still is regularly to be heard on the Concertzender.
Listen to ConcertPodium with our recording of the concert that Ebo Taylor gave in 2011 in RASA in Utrecht. Alternatively, listen to the World of Jazz programme Rec/Play which includes the warm sounds of Taylors Peace on Earth.
