Osibisa

Osibisa are a Brit-Afro band founded in 1969 by Teddy Osei, who moved to London in 1962 to study music on a scholarship from the Ghanaian government. After his first band 'Cat’s Paw’ (formed in 1964), he later persuaded fellow Ghanaians Sol Amarfio and Mac Tontoh (Teddy’s brother) to join him in London. Together with four other expatriates they formed Osibisa – taking their name from the Osibisaba rhythms of Ghanaian highlife music. The band could be described as the first 'world music’ act on a truly global scale. Osibisa brought a colourful and positive attitude to dull, grey and racist 60’s London. Their extremely danceable sound is an energetic and polyrhythmic blend of African, Caribbean, jazz, blues, calypso, r & B and funk-rock (have I left anything out?).

Now in its fourth generation and to mark forty years of Osibisa, the band gave a more than spectacular concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall to rapturous applause. Playing for almost two hours, the set consisted of tracks from their latest albums 'The Very Best Of Osibisa’ and 'Osee Yee’ (released by Cardiz Music) plus some golden oldies thrown in. One of the special-guest amongst the audience was Roger Dean, the very man who designed the band’s elaborate sleeve work (before he became famous for designing album covers for rock band Yes).

The evening kicked off with 'The Dawn’ a track dominated by a heavy bass line, circular keyboards and enchanting percussions – approximating an African dawn. If this is what an African dawn sounds like, it’s certainly worth getting up early! Since it’s impossible to mention each and every track from a two-hour set, I will instead focus on some of the highlights (though strictly speaking, every track was of course a highlight!).
'Fire’ and 'Music For Gong Gong’ (an purely instrumental delight) were next, followed by 'Woyaya’ - dominated by a strong tribal sound that recognises the ongoing African struggle for freedom. Suffice to say, this particular track was much embraced by members of the African community in the audience. The incredibly uplifting 'I Feel Pata Pata’ needs no further introduction, and the same can be said for 'Sunshine Day’ – one of the band’s best known songs with an irresistible pop sound, and dynamic horn charts. The audience was invited to sing along to 'Everybody do what you’re doing, smile will bring a sunshine day' and the punters happily obliged. Despite the track being in English, its complex rhythms remind of deep and mysterious Africa. At that stage, the atmosphere was simply ecstatic, with various other members from the audience chanting 'Ooosiiii-beee-saaa' in between.

'Ayioko’ (my absolute favourite!) is slightly reminiscent of Santana or even Earth, Wind and Fire and stands out through a very modern production and its constant change of tempos. With its complicated bass-drum grooves and cleverly applied horn interventions, it’s impossible not to move and groove to this track and well, move and groove is precisely what everyone in the venue did. The band was visibly thrilled by the warm reception – with founder member Teddy Osei still amongst the current line-up! The band’s colourful and traditional outfits complimented their songs – performed both in Ashanti and in English language.


The final number of the night, 'Watusi’, starts off with a distinctive drumbeat, followed by horn charts that add a contemporary element to an otherwise more tribally oriented arrangement. It was the perfect song to bring a memorable concert to an end – with everyone keeping on dancing and sporting a happy smile on their faces.