Ebo Taylor

Born January 6, 1936 in Cape Coast, Ghana, Ebo Taylor is a guitarist and composer who is best-known for his influential work in the highlife and afrobeat genres. Although he is not as well-known as artists like Fela Kuti (from Nigeria), Taylor’s influence has stretched over six decades.

In the late ‘50s, he was a member of Ghanaian highlife bands the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band. By 1962, he had formed the Black Star Highlife Band and moved to London, There, he met Fela Kuti and other transplanted African musicians. Moving back to Ghana, Taylor began producing and writing for Ghanaian artists like C.K. Mann and Pat Thomas. He remained a key figure in Ghana, releasing a series of influential albums like My Love and Music (1976), Twer Nyame (1978), Sweeter Than Honey with Pat Thomas (1980), and Conflict Nkru! with Uhuru Yenzu (1980). Late in his career, he was discovered by a new generation of listeners when hip-hop producers began sampling his classic funk-influenced afrobeat recordings. In 2010, he released his first international album, Love and Death. He followed that up with Appia Kwa Bridge (2012), Yen Ara (2018), and Palaver (2019). Some of his classic recordings were compiled on the 2017 release Life Stories: Highlife and Afrobeat Classics 1973-1980.