Highlife Music of Ghana and Nigeria

https://amf.didiermary.fr/highlife-music-ghana-nigeria-60s-70s/

70s Highlife Music from Ghana and Nigeria in this documentary, unfortunately lacking all the songs and performers names. If you know, please comment below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pTBW-NsbSA

♬〜 Victor Olaiya - Invitation Highlife Three Decades Of Highlife - The Best Of...
#Highlife #African #Jazz #Nigerian #NowPlaying

Ebo Taylor – Ayesama

https://amf.didiermary.fr/ebo-taylor-ayesama/

“Appia Kwa Bridge” features new compositions by Ebo Talyor in 2012, including “Ayesama” below. His sound is more dense and tightly locked than ever with Berlin-based musicians Afrobeat Academy, a rock solid unit since regular touring worldwide following his “Love And Death” album in 2010.

“I wanted to go back to a highlife feeling with […]

Lagbaja – Me (Full Album)

https://amf.didiermary.fr/lagbaja-me/

Lágbájá (aka Òpátàmèdù) is a Nigerian musician, singer-songwriter and percussionist as well as a musical humourist.

Lagbaja’s music is a symbolic bridge that connects the old to the new; the dangers, apprehension, and injustices of the Nigerian military era to a new age of democracy and hope. […]

Jewel Ackah – Electric Hi​-​Life

https://amf.didiermary.fr/jewel-ackah-electric-hi-life/

Jewel Ackah is, for many Ghanians, synonymous with feelgood, old-school highlife dance music. Electric Hi-Life is a monument to old school brass-band highlife sound. […]

Lagos Baby 1963-1969

https://amf.didiermary.fr/lagos-baby-1963-1969/

Some of Fela Kuti’s earliest recordings, with the Koola Lobitos band, are featured on the compilation Lagos Baby: 1963-1969, but the music he played at the time stretches from mostly fairly classic Highlife music to variations of jazzy-bluesy Highlife…

Tunde Nightingale & His Highlife Boys – Omo Lafiah / Araba

https://amf.didiermary.fr/tunde-nightingale-his-highlife-boys-omo-lafiaji-araba/

Earnest Olatunde Thomas, known as Tunde Nightingale or The Western Nightingale, was a Nigerian singer and guitarist, best known for his unique Jùjú music style, following in the tradition of Tunde King…

From the album “The Bird That Sings All The Night” in 1968: Omo Lafiah & Araba.

African Brothers International Band

https://amf.didiermary.fr/african-brothers-international-band/

The debut album by Nana Kwame Ampadu’s legendary African Brothers International Band, originally released in Ghana in 1970. The band is an evolution of “African Brothers Dance Band (International)” that was famous in the ’60s.

Nana Ampadu of Ghana formed his African Brothers Band in 1963. During the ’70s, they became one of the more […]

Lagos All Routes

https://amf.didiermary.fr/rss-club/lagos-all-routes/

Lagos All Routes (Juju, Highlife, Apala and Fuji) is a compilation of Nigerian music from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s, often considered the ‘golden age’ of African popular music.

In Nigerian pidgin English, ‘chop-up’ makes figurative reference to a bountiful feast. ‘Lagos All Routes’ refers to the fact that while the music on these […]

“Here are the twins from Ghana!”

https://amf.didiermary.fr/basa-basa-homowo-african-soul-power/

Homowo, one of Ghana’s most sought-after LPs, emerges from obscurity on a high-quality reissue.

First released in Nigeria in 1979, this LP (Homowo and also known as Basa Basa Experience – Together We Win) is a unique collaboration with Themba ‘T-fire’ Matebese, who propelled Basa Basa’s sound, inspired by Ghanaian traditional music, [...]

Nigeria Special 1970-76

https://amf.didiermary.fr/nigeria-special-1970-76/

“Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues 1970-76” is a compilation released in 2008.

K. Frimpong and his Cubanos Fiesta – Me Da A Ɔnnda

https://amf.didiermary.fr/frimpong-cubanos-fiesta/

Me Da A Ɔnnda is a classic and essential Hi-Life & Afro Funk album from one of the greatest Ghanaian singer and composer, recorded in 1980 by the legendary K. Frimpong and his Cubanos Fiesta band.
[...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dfNasd7QW4

Kokoroko – Abusey Junction

https://amf.didiermary.fr/kokoroko-abusey-junction-we-out-here/

Released in 2018, “Abusey Junction” is the first record track of 8-piece band, London-based jazz collective Kokoroko.

From “We Out Here”, a primer on London’s bright-burning young jazz scene. This compilation brings together a collection of some of its sharpest talents. A set of nine newly-recorded tracks, We Out Here captures a moment where […] …

Locomotive Train (Keteke)

https://amf.didiermary.fr/locomotive-train-keteke-african-brothers-band/

Released to coincide with the Ghanaian Independence Day celebrations on 6th March 2024, African Brothers Band International of Ghana’s “Locomotive Train (Keteke)” album is a fine example of the band’s fusion of Highlife, guitar based Rock and Reggae.

Originally formed as The African Brothers in 1963 as a concert party, the band has had a […]

Locomotive Train (Keteke)

https://amf.didiermary.fr/locomotive-train-keteke-african-brothers-band/

Released to coincide with the Ghanaian Independence Day celebrations on 6th March 2024, African Brothers Band International of Ghana’s “Locomotive Train (Keteke)” album is a fine example of the band’s fusion of Highlife, guitar based Rock and Reggae.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHS5llV5Csc

Originally formed as The African Brothers in 1963 as a concert party, the band has had a rotation of personnel and several variations on the band name with many of their 56 albums only released in Ghana and, in some cases, only ever on cassette.

The line-up for this album is the personnel list considered to be the classic with bandleader Nana Kwame Ampadu arranging, composing and producing all tracks with a five guitar front line backed by the legendary Baba Tunde on drums alongside the organ, bass and three percussionists.

Originally coming out on the Ghanaian label Happy Sun, a subsidiary of Nyarko Records, Locomotive Train represents one of many album and single collaborations between label and band from the early 1970’s onwards.

Meko Tarkwa! Meko Tarkwa! Meko Tarkwa!!!

Credits

Vinyl

Arranged & composed by, Leader, Production Manager – Nana Kwame Ampadu I
Bass Guitar – Joe Opoku Appiah
Drums – Baba Tunde
Guitar – Eddie Donkor, Jacob Osae, Nana Ampadu, Nana Amoako
Organ – Ancient Awuah (Kasepo)
Percussion – Offei Kwame, Kofi Amoah, Dan Owusu

#OldAfricanMusic - #Ghana #Highlife #Independence

Fela Kuti – Waka Waka

https://amf.didiermary.fr/waka-waka-fela-ransome-kuti/

“Waka Waka” and “Se E Tun De” on this 45T from the sixties by Fela Ransome Kuti and His Koola Lobitos.

There’s a live version on the 3-disc set Highlife: Jazz and AfroSoul (1963-1969) […]

Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo!

https://amf.didiermary.fr/rss-club/gwo-gwo-gwo-ngwo/

This old HighLife, song “Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche” by Gentleman Mike Ejeagha & his Trio, a classic released in 1983, became popular again after a skit of comedian Brainjotter on Instagram and now TikTok. That’s all about the chorus: the catchy “gwo gwo gwo ngwo!”

Ghana Special 2: Electronic Highlife

https://amf.didiermary.fr/electronic-highlife-ghana-special-2/

“Ghana Special 2: Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds In The Diaspora, 1980​-​93” is a collection of 18 Burger Highlife, Electronic Afrobeat and Reggae tracks, highlighting a time when the burgeoning Ghanaian diaspora across Europe and North America was utilising new music technology and recording techniques. […]

Louis Armstrong sings “Black and Blue” in Ghana

https://amf.didiermary.fr/louis-armstrong-sings-black-blue-ghana/

Louis Armstrong spent 2 days in Ghana in 1956, as part of The Jazz Ambassadors program to represent America abroad. He sang and played “Black and Blue” in front of the future Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah.

I’m white inside, it don’t help my case
‘Cause I can’t hide, what is on my face, oh!
[…]