CHIEF KOFI SAMMY ''THE BEST OF'' (GHANA,1998) @ [239k VBR]

CHIEF KOFI SAMMY

''THE BEST OF''

(GHANA, 1998) @

The Okukuseku International Band of Ghana, formed '69 in Accra by Kofi Sammy and Water Proof.

Singer- composer Sammy began with Kakaiku's guitar band in the palm- wine style of highlife, had moved on to K. Gyasi and his Noble Kings; Proof had been an actor, served an apprenticeship with E. K. Nyami's No. 1 Band. Though neither could play the guitar they came together to form Okukuseku's No. 2 Guitar Band, recording single 'Osona Ba' '69 at Ghana Films Studio; failing to acquire instruments or equipment they left for Kumasi '70, where they borrowed instruments from Ambassador Studios and made several more singles, popular enough to persuade the chairman of Ambassador, A. Kwasi Badu, to lend them equipment: in the '70s they became one of the country's top bands, releasing LPs Agyanka Due and Bosoe Special. They left for Nigeria '79 because of economic depression and lack of recording facilities, made LPs Okponku Special and Original Kekako in Lagos, moved to the highlife stronghold of Eastern Nigeria and landed a contract with Rogers All Stars of Onitsha.

They continued to play Asante highlife, singing in Twi but in time adding songs in pidgin and Ibo, adopting Nigerian highlife inflections without losing their fans back home. LPs incl. Yebre Ama Owou '80, Suffer Suffer '81, Take Time and Black Beauty '83, Odo Ye De '84. Internationally popular, they returned to Ghana '85, settled in Koforidua.