EBO TAYLOR, PAT THOMAS & SUPER SOUNDS (Ghana/1981)

Here is a great record to start 2013. In this album, recorded in Togo in 1981 under Super Sounds' name, is featuring the two biggest stars of Ghana: Pat Thomas and Ebo Taylor. This record is rare but known for its wonderful aofrobeat piece: "Yes Indeed".

Ebo Taylor is a figure in Ghana Highlife music. His career reflects his artistic vitality. During the 50s and 60s, after the explosion of pioneers highlife bands like E.T. Mensa, Taylor became a figure of this movement, beginning with bands like Stargazers and Broadway Dance Band. Highlife music appeared to Ghana in the 20s, it was born from the meeting of portugese guitars, western brass bands, african rhythms, american big bands and carribean styles like calypso. Thus in the mid-70s and 80s, Ebo Taylor recorded a number of solo projects, exploring unique fusions and borrowing elements from traditional Ghanian sounds, Fela's afrobeat, to jazz, soul and funk.

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Voici un excellent disque pour commençer l'année 2013. Dans cet album enregistré au Togo en 1981 sous le nom de "Super Sounds", figurent les deux plus grandes stars du Ghana: Pat Thomas et Ebo Taylor. Cet album est rare mais connu pour son redoutable morceau afrobeat: "Yes Indeed".

Ebo Taylor est une des figures de la musique Highlife au Ghana. Son parcours témoigne de sa vitalité artistique. Pendant les années 50 et 60, après l’explosion des orchestres de highlife pionniers comme E.T. Mensah, Taylor est devenu une figure de ce courant en se faisant les dents avec des grands groupes comme les Stargazers et le Broadway Dance Band. Courant apparu au Ghana dans les années 20, le highlife est né de la rencontre des guitares portugaises, des fanfares occidentales, des rythmes africains, des big bands américains et des styles caraïbes comme le calypso. Ainsi, au milieu des années 70 et 80, Ebo Taylor enregistre un certain nombre de projets solo, explorant des fusions uniques et empruntant des éléments de sons ghanéens traditionnels, de l’afrobeat de Fela, de jazz, de soul et de funk.

Ebo Taylor & Kwabena Afadzie: Gapohones Various Bands

This is a very nice album recorded in 1977 on Gapohone label. Ebo Taylor was musical director on this label and produced many artists like Kwabena Afadzie who composed the fabulous and deep "Wongyae Me Mu". I would love to know more about these "Gapophone various bands", if someone knows...

Voici un excellent album enregistré en 1977 sur le label Gapophone. Ebo Taylor était directeur musical du label et a produit de nombreux artistes tel que Kwabena Afadzie qui a composé le profond  et lour morceau "Wongyae Me Mu". J'aimerai beaucoup en savoir plus sur ces "Variés Orchestres Gapophone", si quelqu'un sait

Pat Thomas (Ghana/1979)

Pat Thomas was Born in 1951 in Kumasi, Ghana. The wave of disco and reggae that swept Africa in the mid-70s created differing responses: some musicians pulled away from playing imported music entirely, others adopted it and adapted it to their own purposes. One of the latter category is highlife vocalist Thomas, who made his name with his band the Sweet Beans. He was brought up by his uncle, Onyina, a celebrated local band leader and the owner of a record store in Kumasi.

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In 1969 he joined the Broadway Dance Band, leaving a year later to join the Uhuru Dance Band for a tour of the UK. Returning to Ghana, he played with Ebo Taylor’s Blue Monks, spent a year in the Cote D’lvoire and then formed the Sweet Beans in 1973. Like many Ghanaian bands, the Sweet Beans received sponsorship from a government body, in this case the Cocoa Marketing Board. They released False Lover in 1974, then split and re-formed as Marijata, releasing Marijata and Pat Thomas Introduces Marijata, after which Thomas released two reggae-influenced solo albums, Let’s Think It Over and Asawado.