Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian highlife pioneer and guitarist, dies age 90

February 9, 2026

TL;DR

Ebo Taylor, a foundational musician of the highlife genre, has died at 90.
His son announced his death, highlighting his status as a "colossus of African music."
Taylor was celebrated for striving to put Ghanaian music on the global map.
He is hailed as potentially the "greatest rhythm guitarist in history" for his original fusion of Ghanaian rhythmic traditions.
Born in 1936, Taylor began playing piano young and later switched to guitar, joining bands like the Stargazers.
He studied music in London, where he befriended Fela Kuti and was influenced by composers like Dvořák.
Taylor and Kuti were genre innovators, blending funk and highlife/Yoruba music respectively.
He formed the Black Star Highlife Band and returned to Ghana, forming other notable bands.
Taylor worked at Essiebons label, producing and recording his own albums and those of other artists.
His first international album, "Love and Death," was released in 2010, leading to renewed activity and international touring.
Taylor's music was sampled by contemporary artists, and he received lifetime achievement awards.
Despite a stroke in 2018 that affected his speech, he continued to create music with the help of his sons and collaborators.

Continue reading the original article