JJ’s ‘79 coup destroyed bands in Ghana - Ambolley

Former president Jerry John Rawlings’ 1979 coup destroyed nightlife and bands in Ghana, veteran Ghanaian musician and songwriter Gyedu-Blay Ambolley has said.

In 1979, Mr Rawlings, then in custody with six other soldiers for mutiny, was released by a group of soldiers to lead an insurgency that ousted the Supreme Military Council from office and replaced it with the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).

This coup, according to Mr Ambolley, who was speaking on Entertainment Capital on Accra 100.5fm Saturday, May 14, destroyed the many bands that existed in the country at that time.

“There were lots of bands in Ghana around 1968 that I looked up to as a young musician. There were bands like Star Gazers, Moderniers, Comet, Broadway band, Sky Lux , Black Beats, Rumblers and so forth and a singer called Josh Aikins, but the coup destroyed them”, he told host DJ Premier.

The "Simigwa Do Man" said from 1979 – 1981, bands left the music industry because of a long curfew that span that period.

“When he [Rawlings] did the coup, there was a curfew continuously for two years and over, which killed night life in Ghana. The musicians who also made a living through music left the country for Europe, Abidjan and Nigeria. This is what brought about the introduction of spinners after the coup was lifted. Spinners took over because there were no musicians and bands”, he narrated.

He advised that musicians be educated through workshops and seminars. This he said was important because young artiste now do not know music.

“They don’t know what is called cord because there is no education in music. The young and coming artistes simply follow a genre of music trending during their time. There is no direction, so, they try a genre of music, if they fail, they try another genre and these things could be handled if they are educated to be focused”.

Ambolley has been singing for over 40 years. He has performed his Simigwa music and played jazz across the world.

In October of 2003, Ambolley was recognised for his commitment to his musical craft with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Jazz at Drew from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, California.

Additionally, he received a Congressional, Gubernatorial Certificate of Special Recognition from Congress woman Juanita Millinder McDonald. Also, L.A. Weekly nominated Ambolley for "Best World Beat Recombinant Artists"2003.