Osibisa
One of the first African bands to taste worldwide fame, Osibisa have been invigorating audiences with their unique blend of jazz, calypso, blues, funk and authentic African and Caribbean folk since their formation in 1969. An unashamed ‘feel good’ band, the British Afro-pop group were formed in London by four African and three Caribbean ex-pat musicians. Arguably the first ‘World Music’ group to taste success on a global scale, Osibisa played alongside such bands as the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd during their hey-day. Despite waning in popularity during the eighties, Osibisa stuck to their guns, and after reforming in 1996 the band have tasted success once more.
Based on “osibisaba”, a Fante word meaning ‘highlife’, the band describe their name as meaning “criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness” – a pretty accurate description of their musical output. Led by Ghanaian Teddy Osei, a singer, songwriter, composer and producer who also plays the flute, saxophone and African drums, Osibisa’s lineup has changed a number of times over the years. The band was formed by Osei, his brother Mac Tontah, and drummer Sol Amarfio, who had all previously played together in Ghanaian band The Comets. Osei had moved to London in 1962 to study music, and after persuading his two former band mates to join him seven years later, they hooked up with Nigerian percussionist Lasisi Amao, Grenadian bassist Spartacus R, Antiguan lead guitarist Wendell Richardson and Trinidadian keyboard player Robert Bailey. Osibisa was born, and soon afterwards began making their mark on the western music scene.
The band tasted success almost immediately, and had a UK hit in 1970 with ‘Music for Gong Gong’. From that point onward Osibisa never looked back, recording seven studio albums, a live album, a soundtrack and a compilation album during the following decade. As well as selling millions of records, Osibisa also toured extensively around the world, playing to sell out crowds in the UK, US, Australia, Japan, India and Africa. However, the 1980s saw a change in the direction of popular music, and the emergence of punk and disco saw Osibisa’s popularity decline. After releasing four albums between 1980 and 1983, it would be a further six years before the group stepped into a recording studio again.
During the early 1990s, Osibisa’s music was used on a number of anthology albums without their permission, for which the band received little by way of royalties. However, this signalled to Osibisa that perhaps there was a market once again for their brand of music, and they set about releasing a number of compilation albums of their own. Spurred by this success, the band reformed in 1996, and the following year released their first studio album in eight years. More compilations and live albums followed, as the band began touring again, playing to dedicated crowds once more.
After the turn of the new millennium, Osibisa made the most of their new lease of life, releasing twelve separate records between 2001 and 2009. Although age and ill health has seen the band cut back their touring schedule in recent years, they are still active today, and recently appeared on the line up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in South Africa. One of the continent’s most successful bands of all time, Osibisa are proof that a positive attitude can take you a long, long way.
