Ghanian musical pioneer Ebo Taylor dead at 90
Ebo Taylor, a legend of Ghanaian highlife music and a West African musical icon, has died aged 90.
Taylor’s son, Kweku Taylor, confirmed the news of his father’s passing, stating, “The world has lost a giant. A colossus of African music.”
The eulogy continued, “Ebo Taylor passed away yesterday; a day after the launch of Ebo Taylor music festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday, leaving behind an unmatched artistry legacy. Dad, your light will never fade.”
Additionally, Taylor has been celebrated by the Ghanaian government, with a spokesperson for the president telling the BBC that he will “be remembered as one of our greatest musicians ever”.
The spokesperson also described him as “a man who strove to put Ghanaian music on the global map at a time when other genres of music were prominent”.
Taylor, born in 1936, first established himself in the late 1950s before moving to London to study, which is where he grew close to Fela Kuti and began a musical partnership.
He later told PostGenre in an interview, ”In 1961, I went to a private music school in London, the Eric Gilder School of Music. At that time, Fela was studying at Trinity College, and we became friends. Fela was a year ahead of me when I enrolled in music school.”
Taylor reflected, “He was frisky but very fun to be with. Our friendship grew stronger because we had a common interest in Highlife. We also had the desire to become a Miles Davis, a Charlie Christian, or a Kenny Burrell. So we had the same mood. Fela taught me harmonies. He was such a playful and lively person.”
Eventually, Taylor returned home to Ghana, playing in bands such as New Broadway Dance Band and the Blue Monks alongside Pat Thomas.
During the 1980s and ’90s, Taylor took a backseat in the music industry, working as a producer behind the scenes, before teaching music at the University of Ghana during the ’00s.
In recent years, due to international interest in highlife, Taylor finally received his flowers with his final album, Ebo Taylor JID022, arriving through Jazz is Dead in 2025.
He also suffered a stroke in 2018, which made it difficult for him to communicate in English, but Taylor didn’t let it stop his musical career, and he continued to record material.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.