Gyedu Blay Ambolley in a pose with H.E. Mr. Samuel Jojo Effah-Broni, Ghana’s Ambassador to Morocco
Veteran Ghanaian highlife/afro jazz musician Gyedu Blay Ambolley, became the toast of thousands of music fans when he put up a splendid performance at Jazzablanca Festival in Casablanca, Morocco last week.
He entertained the crowds of music lovers who flocked to the arena, leaving everyone who saw him perform live feeling uplifted and satisfied.
He has established himself as one of the most fascinating highlife and afro jazz performers in the country, thanks to his stage presence and inventive performance.
Fans were enthralled by Ambolley’s music for more than two hours, supported by his band, Sekondi Band International, but more importantly, his stage presence kept them standing the entire time.
Music fans were taken aback by his remarkable fusion of traditional and modern rhythms. His particular kind of music and his really fantastic and distinctive vocal technique made him the crowd favourite.
Ambolley, whose voice cut through the air like a sparrow, sang a number of his compositions as well as classic songs that the crowd cheered, applauding the band’s diversity.
Songs like “Simigwa Do,” “Adwoa Amissah,” and “Akoko Ba,” among others, were performed for the fans.
The seasoned musician has shared the stage with some of the most well-known performers in the world, including Miriam Makeba and the late Afro-beat monarch, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Gyedu Blay Ambolley has released over 31 CDs to date and has won various musical honors, including The Jazz at Drew’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, California.
By George Clifford Owusu