Ebo Taylor & The Pelikans

Biography

Ebo Taylor (born Deroy Taylor on 6 January 1936 – 7 February 2026) was a Ghanaian guitarist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and record producer who became one of Africa's most influential musicians over a career spanning more than six decades. Born in Saltpond near Cape Coast in Ghana's Central Region, Taylor began his musical education at age six learning piano, later transitioning to guitar and coming under the influence of the emerging highlife movement. In the late 1950s, he rose to prominence as lead guitarist and arranger for the Stargazers Band and Broadway Dance Band, two of the era's most popular highlife ensembles, where he composed enduring classics such as "Sika Enibre," "Owu Na Mewu," and "Ghana Be Ye Yie."

From 1962 to 1965, Taylor studied at the Eric Gilder School of Music in London, where he became a pivotal figure nurturing West African musicians and collaborating with Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, as well as future Osibisa members Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio. Upon returning to Ghana in 1965, he joined the Uhuru Dance Band and later became its leader, recording the innovative "Conflict" album for Essiebons Records. In 1974, he formed the Apagya Show Band, one of Ghana's most innovative Afro-bands of the 1970s, for which he wrote and arranged numerous compositions. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Taylor served as musical director and arranger for major Ghanaian record labels Essiebons and Gapophone, shaping the careers of renowned singers including C.K. Mann, Pat Thomas, Jewel Ackah, and Papa Yankson.

Taylor's solo work during the 1970s and 1980s—including albums such as "Ebo Taylor & the Pelikans" (1976) and "Twer Nyame" (1978)—demonstrated his signature fusion of traditional Ghanaian music, afrobeat, jazz, funk, and soul. From 2001 onward, he added an academic dimension to his career by teaching highlife and jazz guitar at the University of Ghana, allowing him to deepen his research into Ghana's regional musical traditions. In 2014, he became the first musician in Ghana to receive the Kwame Nkrumah African Genius Award. His music later gained international recognition when artists including Usher, Ludacris, and the Black Eyed Peas sampled his compositions. Taylor continued performing into his 90s, leading an eight-piece band that impressed audiences across Europe and beyond until his death on 7 February 2026.

Fun Facts

• Taylor was born with the name Deroy Taylor but became known professionally as Ebo Taylor; he began his musical education at just six years old learning piano before transitioning to guitar.
• During his time in London (1962-1965), Taylor lived in a flat in Willesden Junction where Fela Kuti would frequently visit after their jam sessions in jazz clubs off Oxford Street, making Taylor an early mentor figure to the future afrobeat pioneer.
• In 2014, at an advanced age, Taylor became the first musician in Ghana to receive the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah African Genius Award, recognizing his six decades of contributions to African music.
• Taylor's music achieved unexpected international recognition decades after its original release when major contemporary artists including Usher, Ludacris, and the Black Eyed Peas sampled his compositions, introducing his highlife-afrobeat fusion to global hip-hop and pop audiences.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• His father - Encouraged Taylor to learn family organ, introducing him to music (Early musical education) [1940s]
• Eric Gilder School of Music (London) - Formal music education institution where Taylor studied composition, jazz, funk, and soul (Academic training in Western and African musical traditions) [1962-1965]

Key Collaborators

• Fela Kuti - Fellow student in London; collaborated in jazz clubs and jam sessions; Fela frequently visited Taylor's flat in Willesden Junction (Informal collaborations and musical exchanges) [1962-1965]
• Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio - Fellow musicians in London who later formed Osibisa; collaborated with Taylor in the Black Star Highlife Band (Black Star Highlife Band) [1962-1965]
• C.K. Mann - Major Ghanaian singer for whom Taylor arranged and produced music as in-house arranger for Essiebons Records (Multiple recordings and arrangements) [1970s-1980s]
• Pat Thomas - Renowned Ghanaian singer; Taylor arranged and produced his music, later became a frequent collaborator (Multiple recordings and arrangements) [1970s-1980s]
• Jewel Ackah - Popular Ghanaian singer for whom Taylor composed and arranged songs (Compositions and arrangements) [1970s-1980s]
• Papa Yankson - Ghanaian musician whose career Taylor shaped through arrangement and production work (Arrangements and production) [1970s-1980s]
• Eddie Quansah - Trumpeter who collaborated with Taylor in the Ghana Black Star Band (Ghana Black Star Band) [1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Usher - Contemporary artist who sampled Taylor's music in his compositions (Sampling of Taylor's recordings) [2000s onward]
• Ludacris - Hip-hop artist who sampled Taylor's music (Sampling of Taylor's recordings) [2000s onward]
• Black Eyed Peas - Musical group that sampled Taylor's compositions (Sampling of Taylor's recordings) [2000s onward]
• University of Ghana students - Taylor taught highlife and jazz guitar, directly influencing younger generations of Ghanaian musicians (Academic instruction in highlife and jazz guitar) [2001 onward]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia