Ghana’s James Brown, singer, composer and saxophonist Gyedu-Blay Ambolley brings his cocktail of highlife, funk, jazz, soul and rap to Fasching. With over thirty records in his catalogue, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is a big part of Ghana’s music history and musical life with his contributions to the development of highlife music.
Ambolley broke through fifty years ago with the song Simigwa-do and his name has since been synonymous with Simigwa music, where he was the first to incorporate rap into local highlife rhythms.
With his mix of hip-hop and highlife, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley has consequently also received the name the godfather of hiplife.
This versatile singer, songwriter and producer’s interest in music started at the age of eight, when he borrowed his father’s flute and taught himself to play. He received his formal musical education at the age of fourteen under the apprenticeship of “Uncle Bonku” who taught him to play the guitar.
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley comes to Fasching with last year’s record, a record where, alongside new original compositions in his own highlife style, he breathes new life into Thelonius Monk’s Round Midnight, Wayne Shorter’s Footprints and Miles Davis’ All Blues.
The concert is part of the collaboration: Fasching x Selam
