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| Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town (where Nelson Mandela was released from). OSIBISA performed in the prison yard for about 500 inmates |
Yes "OSIBISA" is alive, well and still blowing the fans away with their amazing music, just like they always have. The line up has changed a little in 34 years (give or take a few), but the feet can't stop once an "Osibisa" show starts! I was a friend and a fan back in the early 70s.
I was introduced to Ghanaian food and Osibisa music by Harry Appiah, who was known as a very helpful person to many Ghanaian musicians and friends who came to the UK in the 1960's & 1970's. This was "The Band" that opened our ears "In The Western World" to the sounds of Africa and the rhythms of the heart beat!
I lost contact with the band for some years and was reunited by a UK agent who asked me to tour manage a band to Hungary for a TV show. Some time later, I discovered it was "Osibisa". It was great to see Teddy, Sol, Kofi, & the guys again & we have been working together constantly since.
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| Mac, Sol & Teddy from OSIBISA with the South African Minister of Cultural Affairs at her garden party. |
The band are working on a regular basis, recently playing in the UK, Leverkusen Germany, The North Sea Jazz Festival & Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town - South Africa. Osibisa have just returned to the UK from the Dubai International Jazz Festival 2004.
Mac Tontoh still plays with us occasionally, also Kwame Yeboah, a young brilliant musician from Ghana who grew up listening to & dreaming of playing with Osibisa. "I was in Lithuania & Estonia when he first played with Osibisa - I didn't think that smile would ever leave his face". Probably hasn't?
Osibisa have planned shows in Poland [Friday 19th March 2004
Kongresowa Hall - Warsaw -
www.jazz.pl/concerts.html] and in Germany [Sunday 30th May 2004 AFRO FEST FESTIVAL WUZBURG -
www.afro.wuerzburg.de/16/index_e.html]
Osibisa's current line up are:-
Teddy Osei - Leader, Vocals, Sax, Flute, African Drums
Sol Amarfio - Drums
Kofi Ayivor - Percussion
Kari Bannerman - Guitar
Victor Mensah - Bass Guitar
Gregg Kofi Brown - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Chris Jerome or Bessa Simons - Keyboards
Colin Graham or Mac Tontoh - Trumpet
Mick (Tee) Tresnan - Manager
Check
www.osibisa.co.uk for details and contact information. See you at the next Osibisa GIG.
|
| Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town (where Nelson Mandela was released from). OSIBISA performed in the prison yard for about 500 inmates |
Yes "OSIBISA" is alive, well and still blowing the fans away with their amazing music, just like they always have. The line up has changed a little in 34 years (give or take a few), but the feet can't stop once an "Osibisa" show starts! I was a friend and a fan back in the early 70s.
I was introduced to Ghanaian food and Osibisa music by Harry Appiah, who was known as a very helpful person to many Ghanaian musicians and friends who came to the UK in the 1960's & 1970's. This was "The Band" that opened our ears "In The Western World" to the sounds of Africa and the rhythms of the heart beat!
I lost contact with the band for some years and was reunited by a UK agent who asked me to tour manage a band to Hungary for a TV show. Some time later, I discovered it was "Osibisa". It was great to see Teddy, Sol, Kofi, & the guys again & we have been working together constantly since.
|
| Mac, Sol & Teddy from OSIBISA with the South African Minister of Cultural Affairs at her garden party. |
The band are working on a regular basis, recently playing in the UK, Leverkusen Germany, The North Sea Jazz Festival & Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town - South Africa. Osibisa have just returned to the UK from the Dubai International Jazz Festival 2004.
Mac Tontoh still plays with us occasionally, also Kwame Yeboah, a young brilliant musician from Ghana who grew up listening to & dreaming of playing with Osibisa. "I was in Lithuania & Estonia when he first played with Osibisa - I didn't think that smile would ever leave his face". Probably hasn't?
Osibisa have planned shows in Poland [Friday 19th March 2004
Kongresowa Hall - Warsaw -
www.jazz.pl/concerts.html] and in Germany [Sunday 30th May 2004 AFRO FEST FESTIVAL WUZBURG -
www.afro.wuerzburg.de/16/index_e.html]
Osibisa's current line up are:-
Teddy Osei - Leader, Vocals, Sax, Flute, African Drums
Sol Amarfio - Drums
Kofi Ayivor - Percussion
Kari Bannerman - Guitar
Victor Mensah - Bass Guitar
Gregg Kofi Brown - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Chris Jerome or Bessa Simons - Keyboards
Colin Graham or Mac Tontoh - Trumpet
Mick (Tee) Tresnan - Manager
Check
www.osibisa.co.uk for details and contact information. See you at the next Osibisa GIG.
