Osibisa, Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars Friday 28th May - Saturday 29th May

Osibisa, one of the most important jazz-rock bands ever, was founded in 1969 and made a very interesting fragment of musical history during 70s. Musicians from Ghana join jazz, funk, fusion, caribbean, r&b, latino and african rhythms. This legendary band from Ghana made 20 studio albums; Osibisa worked with many popular jazz musicians such as Thin Lizzy and Stevie Wonder. The best known albums are: Osibisa (1971), Woyaya (1971), and African Flight (1981)

Formed in London by three Ghanaian and three Caribbean musicians, Osibisa played a central role in developing an awareness of African music among European and North American audiences in the 70s.

The Ghanaian founder members of Osibisa - Teddy Osei (saxophone), Sol Amarfio (drums) and Mac Tontoh, Teddy's brother (trumpet) - were seasoned members of the Accra highlife scene before they moved to London to launch their attack on the world stage.

Osei and Amaflio had played in the Star Gazers, a top Ghanaian highlife band, before setting up the Comets, who scored a large West African hit with their 1958 single 'Pete Pete'. Tontoh was also a member of the Comets, before joining the Uhuru Dance Band, one of the first outfits to bring elements of jazz into Ghanaian highlife. The other founder-members of Osibisa were Spartacus R, a Grenadian bass player, Robert Bailey (b. Trinidad; keyboards) and Wendel Richardson (b. Antigua; lead guitar), & Lasisi Amao (b. Nigeria; percussionist & tenor sax).
Teddy Osei

Teddy Osei moved to London in 1962 where he was eventually given a scholarship by the Ghanaian government to study music. In 1964, he formed Cat's Paw, an early blueprint for Osibisa that blended highlife, rock and soul. In 1969, feeling the need for more accomplished African musicians within the line-up, he persuaded Tontoh and Amarfio to join him in London and Osibisa was born.

The venture proved to be an immediate success, with the single 'Music for Gong Gong' a substantial hit in 1970 (three other singles later made the British Top 10: 'Sunshine Day', 'Dance the Body Music' and 'Coffee Song'). Osibisa's debut album displayed music whose rock references, especially in the guitar solos, combined with vibrant African cross rhythms. The band's true power only fully came across on stage, when African village scenarios and a mastery of rhythm and melody summoned up energy and spirit. Woyaya reached number 11 in the UK and Art Garfunkel later covered its title track.