Gyedu-Blay Ambolley
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Biography
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, often referred to as âJames Brown of Ghana", is best known for his mix of high life, funk, jazz, and freestyle singing. Born in 1947, in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Ambolley's career began in the sixties, first as part of the Tricky Johnson Sextet and then the Uhuru Dance Band before releasing his 1973 single, âSimigwa-Doâ, which is often considered the first-ever rap song to be released commercially. He founded the Apagya Show Band in 1974 with Ebo Taylor and Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and is wildly known in his native country for combining the highlife sound with North American soul and funk. Ambolley has played in a number of other bands including Houghas Extraordinaires, Meridians of Tema, and the Ghana Broadcasting Band. He has shared the stage with Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti, and George Howard among others, and has toured in Africa, Europe, Canada, and the The United States. In 2003 he was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles. With a career that spans 40 years and 30 albums, Ambolley released his solo album, 11th Street, Sekondi, on German label Agogo in 2019.
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