Tributes are flowing in following the death of Ghanaian highlife music legend Ebo Taylor, who passed away on Saturday. Taylor, a guitarist, composer, and bandleader, was a key figure in shaping modern West African popular music over a six-decade career. He died a day after a music festival named in his honor launched in Accra, and just a month after his 90th birthday.
Taylor was often described as a founding father of contemporary highlife, a genre that blends African rhythms with jazz and Caribbean influences, recently recognized by UNESCO. Tributes have come from around the world, including from the Los Angeles-based collective Jazz Is Dead, Ghanaian dancehall star Stonebwoy, and American producer Adrian Younge.
Born in Cape Coast in 1936, Taylor began performing in the 1950s and played with bands like the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band. He later studied music in London in the early 1960s, where he collaborated with other African musicians, including Fela Kuti. His influence extended globally, with elements of his music appearing in various genres.
