Legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Ebo Taylor, whose creative reach extended far beyond West Africa, died on February 7, 2026, at the age of 90. The Musicians Union of Ghana announced his passing at Saltpond Hospital, just one day after he inaugurated the first edition of the Ebo Taylor Festival, an event dedicated to preserving his musical legacy. His death marked the end of a remarkable life in music that influenced generations of musicians across continents.
Taylor was born Deroy Taylor in Cape Coast in 1936 and rose to prominence in the late 1950s as a guitarist and band leader with groups such as the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band. In 1962 he took the Black Star Highlife Band to London, where he worked with Fela Kuti and other African musicians, blending highlife with jazz, funk, and early Afrobeat elements. He returned to Ghana to produce and arrange recordings for Essiebons Records, shaping the sound of major local artists including Pat Thomas and C.K. Mann. His synthesis of traditional Ghanaian rhythms and global sounds helped define highlife’s evolution.
Across more than six decades, Taylor remained active as a composer, producer, and performer, exploring musical intersections that kept his sound fresh and relevant. In the 21st century his work found renewed international attention through sampling by global artists, and collaborative releases such as Love and Death and Appia Kwa Bridge reinforced his status as a bridge between generations of African music makers. In 2025 he released Ebo Taylor JID022, part of the Jazz Is Dead series, further broadening his global profile.
Tributes from across the music world poured in after news of his death. Colleagues, cultural leaders, and fans recognised Taylor not only as a pioneer of highlife but as an artist whose work transcended borders and genres. His legacy lives on in the rhythms of contemporary African music and in the recordings that continue to circulate widely through sampling, reissues, and streaming platforms, introducing his heritage to new audiences.
In Ghana and beyond, Ebo Taylor’s influence endures in the work of artists who draw from his innovations in rhythm and harmony. His contributions to music helped lay the foundations for modern African sounds that thrive today, including afrobeats. As celebrations shift from festival launch to memorial, Taylor’s life remains a testament to the power of creativity grounded in cultural continuity.
