DER GHANAISCHE GITARRIST, KOMPONIST, SÄNGER, LIEDTEXTER, BANDLEADER UND PRODUZENT EBO TAYLOR IST GESTORBEN

Der am 6. Januar 1936 in Cape Coast geborene ghanaische Gitarrist, Komponist, Sänger, Liedtexter, Bandleader und Produzent Ebo Taylor (Bild), der seit den 1960er-Jahren als massgeblicher Vertreter des Musikstils Highlife gilt, ist am 7. Februar 2026 in Saltpond gestorben. Taylor verband traditionelle ghanaische Rhythmen und Liedformen mit Jazz-Harmonik, Funk-Grooves und Elementen des entstehenden Afrobeat und trug so wesentlich zur Popularisierung des Highlife in und ausserhalb Ghanas bei. Seine ästhetische Entwicklung war von einer transatlantischen Wechselwirkung geprägt: In London arbeitete er eng mit der afrikanischen Musikszene, darunter Fela Kuti, zusammen, integrierte Jazz-Idiome in Highlife-Strukturen und prägte dadurch Klang und Selbstverständnis einer Generation ghanaischer Gruppen. In Ghana wurde Taylor zugleich zu einem gefragten Arrangeur und Produzenten und er arbeitete mit namhaften Künstlern wie Pat Thomas und C. K. Mann. Nach einer produktiven Solophase verlegte er seinen Schwerpunkt für längere Zeit auf die Studioarbeit für andere und auf den Unterricht an der University of Ghana. 2010 leitete sein international beachtetes Comeback mit dem Album «Love & Death» eine späte Karrierephase ein, die ihm ein neues Publikum erschloss. (*)

Ebo Taylor, 2013 - Foto: Sylvain lasco, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Sylvain_lasco - Lizenz: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en - Datei: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ebo_Taylor.jpg

Bild: Ebo Taylor, 2013 – Foto: Sylvain lasco, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Sylvain_lasco – Lizenz: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en – Datei: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ebo_Taylor.jpg

Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian Highlife Legend, Dies at 90

Ebo Taylor died on February 7th, 2026 at the Saltpond Hospital, according to a statement from the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA). Taylor was 90-years-old and had just launched the Ebo Taylor Festival a day before his death.

«The world has lost a giant. A colossus of African music,» the Ghanaian legend’s social media posted in a statement. «Ebo Taylor passed away yesterday; a day after the launch of Ebo Taylor Music Festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday, leaving behind an unmatched artistry legacy. Ebo Taylor your light will never fade.“

https://www.okayafrica.com/ebo-taylor-ghanaian-highlife-legend-dies-at-90/1422853

Ghana music legend Ebo Taylor dies at 90

Taylor has been one of Ghana’s globally known musicians of high repute. His influence on highlife and Afrobeat music is unquestionable. He was a guitarist, composer and arranger, and known as a pivot in the shaping of Afrobeat in the 1960s and 70s.

For more than 60 years, Taylor remained evergreen, churning out music and playing live music across the world.

Ghana music legend Ebo Taylor dies at 90

Legendary Ghanaian musician Ebo Taylor dies at 90

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/Legendary-Ghanaian-musician-Ebo-Taylor-dies-at-90-2020834

Ebo Taylor dies at 90, day after festival launch

Ebo Taylor, Ghana’s legendary musician whose influence shaped Highlife, Afrobeats and West African music globally, passes on.

Even in his later years, Taylor remained remarkably active, continuing to create new music and perform live across the globe. His energy and dedication to his craft kept him relevant across multiple generations of music lovers, earning him respect from both veteran musicians and contemporary artists alike.

Ebo Taylor’s work bridged traditional Ghanaian musical forms with international jazz, funk, and soul influences, creating a distinctive sound that brought West African music to global audiences. His guitar work was particularly celebrated for its innovation and technical mastery. His place in both Ghanaian and global music history is firmly established. His contributions helped define the sound of modern West African popular music and influenced countless musicians across the continent and beyond.

Jude Jackie, Ghana Music

Ebo Taylor dies at 90, day after festival launch

Ghanaian highlife legend Ebo Taylor dead at 90

Taylor’s passing comes six years after he received the Music In Africa Honorary Award at the opening of the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES) in Accra on 28 November 2019. He was honoured alongside fellow Ghanaian musician Bibie Brew. The award, presented by the Music In Africa Foundation, recognises musicians whose work has made a significant contribution to their national industries and to African music more broadly.

Tributes from artists and cultural figures followed news of his death. Former Sauti za Busara festival director Yusuf Mahmoud wrote on social media: “Africa has lost another musical giant. Sad to hear of yesterday’s passing of Ebo Taylor from Ghana, age 90, who was Sauti za Busara’s headline artist at the 2014 edition.”

Ano Shumba

https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/ghanaian-highlife-legend-ebo-taylor-dead-90

‚Colossus‘ of Ghanaian highlife music Ebo Taylor dies at 90

Ebo Taylor, the Ghanaian guitarist, composer and band leader whose work helped define the highlife genre and influenced generations of African musicians, has died at the age of 90, his family has announced.

Born Deroy Taylor in the city of Cape Coast in 1936, he rose to prominence during the late 1950s and early 1960s as highlife became Ghana’s dominant musical form.

Over a six-decade career, he fused Ghanaian rhythms with jazz, funk, soul and early Afrobeat and went on to inspire musicians beyond the continent.
Presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the government and people of Ghana were «deeply saddened» by the loss of this «colossus» of the country’s music.

Mark Wilberforce

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e9p04n8y9o

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

Taylor, who did for Ghanaian music what his friend Fela Kuti did for Nigeria, has been called the greatest rhythm guitarist in history

Growing up during the blossoming of highlife, he switched to guitar while he was at college, and subsequently joined the Stargazers – whose members Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio would later form the UK-based Afro-rock band Osibisa – and a succession of other bands. He became known for his rare embrace of both highlife – largely played in a major mode – and Afrobeat, which hews to minor modes.

Laura Snapes

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/09/ebo-taylor-ghanaian-highlife-pioneer-dies-age-90

Musiker und Leitfigur des ghanaischen Highlife, Ebo Taylor, ist tot

Taylor prägte sechs Jahrzehnte lang die moderne Popmusik Westafrikas und wird oft als einer der Gründerväter des zeitgenössischen Highlife genannt. Highlife ist ein Musikstil, der traditionelle afrikanische Rhythmen, Jazz und karibische Musikeinflüsse miteinander verbindet. Bekannt für seine komplexen Gitarrenlinien und reichhaltigen Bläserarrangements spielte er mit führenden Bands wie den Stargazers und der Broadway Dance Band. Taylors Einfluss reichte jedoch weit über Ghana hinaus. Seine Kompositionen erlangten Jahrzehnte später erneut internationale Aufmerksamkeit, als DJs und Labels seine Musik neu veröffentlichten und seine Grooves von Hip-Hop- und R&B-Künstlern gesampelt wurden.

https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/musiker-und-leitfigur-des-ghanaischen-highlife-ebo-taylor-ist-tot-100.html

Le musicien ghanéen Ebo Taylor est décédé à l’âge de 90 ans

Le guitariste ghanéen Ebo Taylor est décédé samedi, annoncent ses proches dimanche sur son compte Instagram. Le musicien, âgé de 90 ans, était une figure centrale du highlife et de l’afrobeat.

Figure centrale de la scène musicale ghanéenne durant plus de six décennies, il a été l’un des rares artistes africains de sa génération à étudier et collaborer avec la scène musicale londonienne des années 1960, tissant notamment des liens avec l’icône afrobeat Fela Kuti.

https://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/2026/02/08/le-musicien-ghaneen-ebo-taylor-est-decede-a-lage-de-90-ans-GPQ4XMMAYREYPEWZF4JRBZYCJQ/

Mort du musicien Ebo Taylor, figure tutélaire du highlife ghanéen

Souvent décrit comme l’un des pères fondateurs du highlife contemporain, à la croisée du jazz, de la musique traditionnelle africaine et des sonorités caribéennes, Ebo Taylor est décédé au lendemain du lancement du festival de musique qui porte son nom, à Accra. Il avait 90 ans. Son influence s’étendait au-delà du Ghana.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/mort-du-musicien-ebo-taylor-figure-tutelaire-du-highlife-ghaneen-20260209

Luto en el mundo de la música: muere artista pionero del “highlife” y guitarrista a los 90 años

Este lunes se dio a conocer sobre la muerte del artista ghanés Ebo Taylor, pionero del “highlife” y guitarrista, a los 90 años de edad.

El hijo del músico, Kweku Taylor, fue quien confirmó la noticia. “El mundo ha perdido a un gigante. Un coloso de la música africana”, manifestó, según consignó The Guardian.

Entre las bandas a las que perteneció durante su carrera musical, están Stargazers y Broadway Dance Band.

En tanto, Taylor realizó giras hasta los 70 y 80 años, estuvo en escenarios de Europa y Estados Unidos durante el ocaso de su carrera.

Sebastian Escares

https://www.adnradio.cl/2026/02/09/luto-en-el-mundo-de-la-musica-muere-artista-pionero-del-highlife-y-guitarrista-a-los-90-anos

Morre Ebo Taylor, pioneiro do highlife, estilo que eletrificou a música africana

Guitarrista e compositor de Gana tinha 90 anos e chegou a vir ao Brasil em 2025 – sem conseguir se apresentar – para sua turnê de despedida

https://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/noticia/2026/02/08/morre-ebo-taylor-pioneiro-do-highlife-estilo-que-eletrificou-a-musica-africana.ghtml

È morto Ebo Taylor, pioniere dell’afrobeat

Ha continuato a esibirsi fino all’età di 80 anni, portando il suo sound in Europa e negli Stati Uniti e consolidando il suo status di figura cult per giovani musicisti e appassionati. Il suo stile unico, caratterizzato da linee di chitarra complesse e arrangiamenti di fiati sofisticati, lo ha reso un simbolo dell’età d’oro del highlife e un mentore affettuosamente soprannominato «Zio Ebo“

https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/musica/2026/02/09/morto-ebo-taylor-afrobeat

Audios / Videos:

Ebo Taylor – Love And Death – The Story Behind The Songs