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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZOKUKUSEKUThe Okukuseku International Band of Ghana was formed in 1969 in Accra by Kofi Sammy and Water Proof. Singer and composer Sammy began with Kakaiku's guitar band in the palm-wine style of highlife, and had moved on to K. Gyasi and his Noble Kings; Proof had been an actor, and served an apprenticeship with E. K. Nyami's No. 1 Band. Though neither could play the guitar, they came together to form Okukuseku's No. 2 Guitar Band, recording the single 'Osona Ba' '69 at Ghana Films Studio; failing to acquire instruments or equipment they left for Kumasi in 1970, where they borrowed instruments from Ambassador Studios and made several more singles, popular enough to persuade the chairman of Ambassador, A. Kwasi Badu, to lend them equipment: in the 1970s they became one of the country's top bands, releasing albums Agyanka Due and Bosoe Special. They left for Nigeria in 1979 because of economic depression at home, made albums Okponku Special and Original Kekako in Lagos, moved to the highlife stronghold of Eastern Nigeria and landed a contract with Rogers All Stars of Onitsha. They continued to play Asante highlife, singing in Twi but in time adding songs in pidgin and Ibo, adopting Nigerian highlife inflections without losing their fans back home. Further albums included Yebre Ama Owou '80, Suffer Suffer '81, Take Time and Black Beauty '83 and Odo Ye De '84. Internationally popular, they returned to Ghana in 1985 and settled in Koforidua. |