Ebo Taylor - Ebo Taylor and The Pelikans (2023)

This re-release of a vinyl record from the '60s bears witness to the origins of the Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist Ebo Taylor, as a singer. It was he who would go on to build the bridge between his country's Highlife and the Afrobeat of his Nigerian friend Fela Kuti; and here he has distilled some joyously funky music, with a light touch of jazz, which is typical of what would become contemporary African music. The Pelikans, who take their name from an Accra nightclub, are a group of twelve veteran musicians, directed by the legendary Highlife musician Bessa Simmons. Here, Ebo Taylor sings in English or in Fanti, sometimes playing keyboards, as on the now-classic Come Along. This piece already appears on a compilation on the origins of Afrobeat, and was notably sampled by the New York rapper Sadat X. These seven pieces, lovingly restored, will re-immerse the listener into a key period in the history of African music. © BM/Qobuz