ADVERTISEMENT

Ebo Taylor, the Ghanaian guitarist, composer, and band leader whose work helped define the highlife genre and influenced generations of African musicians, has died at the age of 90, his family has announced.

Born Deroy Taylor in the city of Cape Coast in 1936, he rose to prominence during the late 1950s and early 1960s as highlife became Ghana’s dominant musical form.

Over a six-decade career, he fused Ghanaian rhythms with jazz, funk, soul, and early Afrobeat and went on to inspire musicians beyond the continent.

Presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the government and people of Ghana were “deeply saddened” by the loss of this “colossus” of the country’s music.

In his early years as a performer, Taylor played with the era’s leading bands, including the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band, and gained a reputation for a distinctive guitar style and detailed arrangements.

In the last 25 years of his life, his music was rediscovered by a global audience with the release of tracks like Love & Death – his reflection on relationships and mortality – driving a fresh host of fans.

A formative period in Taylor’s musical development came in the early 1960s when he travelled to London to study music.

There, he worked alongside other African musicians, including Nigerian artist Fela Kuti.

Their collaboration is now viewed as part of a wider exchange of ideas that helped shape Afrobeat, the genre Fela would later bring to international attention, with highlife playing a significant role in its musical foundations.

On his return to Ghana, Taylor became a sought-after band leader, arranger, and producer, working with some of the country’s most respected artists, including Pat Thomas and CK Mann.

Reflecting on his own influences, he told the BBC in 2014 that “with the advent of James Brown and funk music, there was the opportunity to develop highlife music. Fela did a lot of work introducing the funk into the Yoruba music, while comparatively, I did almost the same thing in Ghana.”

Towards the end of the last century and the beginning of this, Taylor spent more time teaching music at the University of Ghana and working on other people’s output, the New York Times reported.

But he then returned to the studio and his new recordings began to attract attention well into later life, with albums such as Love & Death, Appia Kwa Bridge, and Yen Ara reinforcing his standing as one of Ghana’s most important musical figures.

Taylor’s influence extended far beyond highlife.

In recent decades, his work has been taken up by international audiences through sampling, with elements of his recordings appearing in songs by artists across hip-hop and R&B.

Tracks including Heaven, Odofo Nyi Akyiri Biara, and Love & Death have been sampled by performers including Usher, the Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Rowland, Jidenna, Vic Mensa, and Rapsody, introducing his music to new listeners worldwide.

Talking about achieving wider recognition in his 70s, he said: “I think I’ve had my day, though it came much later.”

In his tribute, top Ghanaian music producer Panji Anoff remembered how everybody used to call him “Uncle Ebo,” but he treated everyone as an equal.

“He would sit with us, eat with us, drink and chill with us, some nearly 50 years his junior, as though we were all peers. He could relate with everybody, and if anybody ever needed a melody, Uncle Ebo would just plug in a guitar and show them the way,” Anoff told the BBC.

“We lost a legend whose contribution to music has created worldwide ripples. I take solace in the fact that I witnessed greatness in Uncle Ebo Taylor’s art form. Rest In Power!” singer and rapper Black Sherif said.

Reflecting on Taylor’s influence, Shatta Wale said that “his sound, vision and cultural impact opened doors for countless artists across Africa and beyond”.

“He will be remembered as one of our greatest musicians ever… as a man who strove to put Ghanaian music on the global map at a time when other genres of music were prominent,” presidential spokesperson Ofosu told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

Across Ghana and the wider African diaspora, Taylor is recognised as a foundational figure whose work helped bridge traditional and modern sounds.

By grounding innovation in cultural continuity, he left behind a body of music that continues to inform contemporary styles, including afrobeats, and remains central to the story of African popular music.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, known as Falz, has criticized the Federal Government over its handling of the deadly attack in Kwara State.

Falz said the country’s leaders are focused on politics while citizens are being killed.

In a video shared on his Instagram page on Sunday, Falz questioned why government officials and political groups are already preparing for the 2027 elections despite ongoing attacks by armed groups across the country.

He expressed anger that after the mass killing in Kwara, the response from authorities appeared limited to official statements without visible action.

Falz’ comment comes days after gunmen attacked Woro and Nuku villages in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The assault, which happened on February 3, 2026, left at least 162 people dead, according to the Red Cross.

The attackers moved from house to house, killing residents after the communities refused to accept their demand to follow their form of Sharia law.

The attackers are believed to be linked to Boko Haram or the Islamic State-backed Lakurawa group.

Many of the victims were reportedly tied before they were shot, causing shock and outrage across the country.

President Bola Tinubu later announced the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State under Operation Savannah Shield and condemned the attack.

However, Falz argued that such steps were not enough, pointing out that no arrests or court cases have been made public since the killings.

The rapper also criticised political parties for pushing ahead with campaign plans while affected communities are still mourning.

He expressed concern that politicians are appointing regional coordinators and building structures ahead of 2027, even though the Electoral Act allows campaigns to begin only months before elections.

Falz further accused some religious leaders of remaining silent on major national issues.

He spoke against their failure to speak out after the Senate rejected a proposal that would make real-time electronic transmission of election results compulsory.

According to Falz, allowing politicians to use church platforms while avoiding difficult national conversations contributes to poor leadership.

He added that relying only on prayers without action has not helped resolve Nigeria’s security problems.

He said: “I thought nearly 200 people were killed in Kwara. The President came out and released a statement, a normal statement, saying he was saddened. Who has been arrested? Who has been prosecuted for this? Nobody. Nothing. We just move on.”

“People are being killed every day, but what is the government doing? They are setting up structures for 2027 elections.”

“They have announced coordinators for the East, for the West, for the South. These same people will still go to churches, and your daddy G.O will allow them to campaign on the pulpit and convince you to vote for the same evil.”

“Your papa will not tell you that the Senate is refusing to amend the Electoral Act to allow real-time transmission of election results because they know it will stop them from rigging.”

“Papa will just tell you to sit down, wait, and pray for a spiritual solution.”

ADVERTISEMENT

A gospel musician has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command in connection with the death of four persons inside a music studio in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

The incident occurred at a studio located within the HFP Shopping Complex, Abraham Adesanya area of Ajah.

Three of the deceased were reportedly members of the musician’s band, while the fourth was a blogger engaged to publicise a three-day birthday musical concert scheduled to hold at the studio.

The deceased have been identified as Mathew Ogundele, Itunu Ogundele, Joseph Sanya, and Mathew Awosanya.

Police sources confirmed that the four individuals slept overnight at the studio and were discovered dead the following morning.

A source at the Ajah Police Division told the Nigerian Tribune that the incident was reported by the husband of the studio owner, who disclosed that food was purchased for the deceased persons on the night before they were found dead.

Another police source said the studio door was locked from the inside when the individuals were checked on the next morning.

“It was when they got there the following morning that they discovered the studio door was locked from inside. The door was forced open, and the four persons were found lying motionless,” the source said.

The victims were rushed to the Mainland General Hospital, where they were confirmed dead. Their bodies were subsequently deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy.

Detectives were mobilised to the scene, where photographs were taken as part of preliminary investigations.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the case was initially reported at the Ajah Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

“One suspect, identified as the organiser of the event, is in custody. Investigation is ongoing, while we await the autopsy report,” she said.

Police said further details would be made public as investigations progress.

(Tribune)