Accra, February 9, 2026 Ebo Taylor, the revered Ghanaian guitarist, composer, and bandleader who was a pivotal figure in shaping the highlife genre and Afrobeat, has died at the age of 90, his family has announced.
Born Deroy Taylor in Cape Coast in 1936, he rose to prominence in the late 1950s and 1960s. His career spanned over six decades, during which he fused Ghanaian rhythms with jazz, funk, and soul. A formative period came in the early 1960s when he studied music in London, collaborating with artists like Nigeria’s Fela Kuti an exchange now seen as crucial to the development of Afrobeat.
Upon returning to Ghana, he became a sought-after producer and arranger, working with stars like Pat Thomas and CK Mann.
A Legacy Rediscovered and Celebrated
While influential in Africa for decades, Taylor’s music reached a global audience in the last 25 years of his life. Albums like Love & Death and Appia Kwa Bridge attracted new fans, and his work has been extensively sampled by international artists including Usher, the Black Eyed Peas, and Kelly Rowland.
Ghana’s presidential spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the nation was “deeply saddened” by the loss of this “colossus” of music.
Music producer Panji Anoff remembered Taylor’s humility: “Everybody used to call him ‘Uncle Ebo’… He could relate with everybody.” Singer Black Sherif stated, “We lost a legend whose contribution to music has created worldwide ripples.”
Ebo Taylor is survived by a monumental body of work that continues to bridge traditional and modern sounds, firmly securing his legacy as an architect of African popular music.
