The Director of Special Projects and Communications for the Musicians Union Of Ghana [MUSIGA] Ahuma Bosco Ocansey better known as Daddy Bosco has stated that the late Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti started Afrobeat at Adabraka in Accra.
The late Nigerian music legend is regarded as the originator of Afrobeat genre. For several years, Afrobeat has achieved impressive global success.
But it would be recalled that Jamaican Dancehall legend Buju Banton sparked controversy in an interview by denigrating the genre as “uninspiring” and questioned its ability to empower Africans, despite its global success.
“A lot of culture vultures out there. They’ve focused on our music so hard and stolen our culture. I’m not knocking nobody but they don’t give us no respect. And you still expect us to act like we take something from you?
“This [reggae] is the King’s music. Your music [afrobeats] shall come and go because it has nothing to do with soul or building energy. Our music is a time marker. You can remember when you went on your first date, when you got married when you are happy and when you are sad. Because it’s the King’s music. I went to Africa in 1991, I spent three weeks educating people from Ghana and all over the continent about reggae music and dancehall.” Buju stated
Speaking as a panellist on Channel One TV’s ‘The Chat’ entertainment talk show, Daddy Bosco purported that Fela Kuti started Afrobeat at Adabraka in Accra.
” I will start with professor John Collings okay so as John Collings in his writings uh shows us that when the slaves were taken from Africa to the West although they may not have taken African drums with them they took the technology of making drums so the moment they got there since they are taking their culture they made drums .so their music went with them dig this, so African music went to the Caribbeans and went to America and through slavery the emancipation and all that…. this intrinsic culture showcased itself in the various musical forms of the Caribbeans and the Americans” Daddy Bosco said
He continued, “Ebo Taylor was a coursemate of Fela Kuti in London and Fela did this when the Highlife revolution started… ET Mensah and co went to Nigeria and spread the gospel of Highlife music… So Fela Kuti knew Highlife even before he went to London and then met with people like Ebo Taylor…Ebo Taylor in those days were like the godfathers of Highlife”.
Daddy Bosco stressed that” Fela and Ebo Taylor struck an acquaintance and that’s how come Fela lived in Ghana in the late 60s. Many people don’t know Fela stayed at a hotel down here in Adabraka and that is where he honed his craft… so with Highlife and the jazz influences he evolved and created what he called his Afrobeats.”
“The Chat,” hosted by Ekow Koomson, airs every Saturday on Channel One TV from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. Don’t miss this exciting episode featuring Lyrical Joe this weekend.
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