Osibisa

Criss-cross rhythms

Osibisa formed in London in 1969, and Wikipedia gives its origin as Accra and London. The name comes from osibisaba, a Fante word for highlife, a dance and a rhythm, and the band described its sound as criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness. The original seven, called the Beautiful Seven, were Teddy Osei (saxophone, flute, drums, vocals; Ghana), his brother Mac Tontoh (trumpet; Ghana), Sol Amarfio (drums; Ghana), Wendell Richardson (lead guitar, vocals; Antigua), Lasisi Amao (percussion, tenor sax; Nigeria), Roger Bedeau (bass; Grenada) and Robert Bailey (keyboards; Trinidad). Osei, Amarfio and others had played in the Star Gazers and then the Comets in Ghana in the 1950s; Osei went to the UK in 1962 on a Ghanaian government scholarship and formed Cat's Paw in 1964. Stevie Wonder joined the band on stage at Imperial College in 1970, and MCA signed them to a five-year deal.

The debut Osibisa (1971), produced by Tony Visconti with a Roger Dean cover, reached 11 in the UK and 55 on Billboard, sold over 500,000 in under a year and, per Business Daily Africa, made them the first African group to earn a US gold record. Woyaya (1971), Heads (1972), Happy Children (1973) and Osibirock (1974) followed, and their percussion is on Uriah Heep's Look at Yourself (1971). Welcome Home (1975) was released after a move from Warner Bros. to Bronze, and "Sunshine Day" reached 17 in the UK in January 1976. Later records include Mystic Energy (1979), Movements (1989), Monsore (1995), Osee Yee (2009) and New Dawn (2021), with the live album Unleashed in India (1982) and a Marquee Club film from April 5, 1983. They played Zimbabwe's independence celebration in 1980.

Teddy Osei died in London on January 14, 2025, aged 88 by most sources. Charles Aniagolu's biography of the band appeared in 2004, and Hammer of the Last Two says Welcome Home inspired his production of Obrafour's Pae Mu Ka.