A big sense of pride filled Afro-Reggae act Fred Samuel Adjei Crawther, better known as Bongofari, as he opened the tribute concert dedicated to the late guitarist, composer, bandleader and arranger, Ebo Taylor, on August 28, 2026, at the Swatson Hotel in Saltpond in the Central Region. Bringing his blend of Highlife and Reggae, which he calls Odo Reggae, Bongofari put up a lively presentation in honour of the man he regarded as a father figure and role model.
A big sense of pride filled Afro-Reggae act Fred Samuel Adjei Crawther, better known as Bongofari, as he opened the tribute concert dedicated to the late guitarist, composer, bandleader and arranger, Ebo Taylor, on August 28, 2026, at the Swatson Hotel in Saltpond in the Central Region.
Bringing his blend of Highlife and Reggae, which he calls Odo Reggae, Bongofari put up a lively presentation in honour of the man he regarded as a father figure and role model.
Ebo Taylor died on February 7, 2026, at the age of 90 in his hometown of Saltpond. He was known worldwide for his massive contribution to the development of Highlife and Afrobeat styles of popular music.
Ebo Taylor
“I was really excited to be part of the concert. My background as a music recording engineer brought me in touch with Uncle Ebo on several recording projects. He really understood music and freely imparted knowledge to whoever was around him and willing to learn,” Bongofari said of Ebo Taylor.
Bands Ebo Taylor performed and recorded with included Uhuru, Apagya Show Band, Broadway, Bondzi Kokomma and the Afro-Beat Academy. He also wrote and arranged songs for well-known Ghanaian musicians such as Jewel Ackah, Paapa Yankson, Gyedu Blay Ambolley and Pat Thomas.
Bongofari performing at the Ebo Taylor tribute concert at Saltpond
The tribute concert was a fairly well-attended affair. Bongofari believes it was a display of how highly the people of Saltpond regarded Ebo Taylor, who travelled widely with his Saltpond City Band.
“It is heartwarming to observe how the people of Saltpond cherish Ebo Taylor for his musical exploits,” Bongofari stated. “He was a kind-hearted man who loved Saltpond so much. I’m happy the people came out to celebrate his life and legacy.”
The Ebo Taylor tribute concert at Saltpond was jointly organised by Swatson Hotel and the Entertainment Business Organisation (EBO). Other performers at the programme included Jah Glory, Roy X Taylor, Kofi Bentil and the Ebo Taylor Family Band.
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