Ghanaian musical pioneer Ebo Taylor, a titan of highlife and a cornerstone of West African sound, has died at the age of 90, according to a faroutmagazine.co.uk report.
His son, Kweku Taylor, the outlet says, confirmed the news, describing his father as a “colossus” who passed away just one day after the launch of a festival held in his honour. The death comes exactly one month after the composer celebrated his 90th birthday.
“The world has lost a giant,” Kweku Taylor said. “Dad, your light will never fade.”
The Ghanaian government joined the international community in mourning, with a spokesperson for the President telling the BBC that Taylor would be remembered as one of the nation’s “greatest musicians ever.” The presidency noted his tireless efforts to place Ghanaian music on the global stage during an era dominated by Western genres.
Born in 1936, Taylor’s influence stretched across decades. In the early 1960s, he moved to London to study at the Eric Gilder School of Music. It was there he formed a pivotal friendship with Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
“Fela was a year ahead of me,” Taylor previously recalled. “Our friendship grew because we had a common interest in Highlife. Fela taught me harmonies; he was a playful and lively person.”
Upon returning to Ghana, Taylor performed with seminal groups like the Blue Monks alongside Pat Thomas. While he spent much of the 1980s and ’90s working as a producer and educator, a global resurgence of interest in African funk and highlife brought him back to the forefront in his later years.
Despite suffering a stroke in 2018, Taylor remained prolific. His final album, Ebo Taylor JID022, was released in 2025 via the Jazz Is Dead label, cementing his status as a living legend until his final days.
•Featured image: Ebo Taylor/ courtesy artist’s estate for faroutmagazine.co.uk
