Ebo Taylor (right) receiving his citation from the organisers
The Department of Music Education, School of Creative Arts at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has recognised and honoured renowned highlife musician Ebo Taylor for his exceptional contributions to the growth of Ghana’s music industry.
The department’s citation of honour acknowledges Ebo Taylor’s remarkable impact on the development of highlife and ‘world’ music.
It highlights his role as a composer, arranger, guitarist, and producer in shaping Ghana’s popular music scene.
The citation reads, “Ebo Taylor, a prominent figure in Ghana’s music history, may not have been a pioneer of the big-band high-life tradition, but his contributions as a composer, arranger, guitarist, and producer have been instrumental in its evolution.”
“Your involvement in influential highlife bands like Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Bands in the late 1950s and early 1960s is a testament to your dedication to the music industry.”
The citation further praises Ebo Taylor’s humility and ability to blend various guitar-playing techniques from his contemporaries, establishing him as Ghana’s finest guitarist.
“As the Department of Music Education, School of Creative Arts, University of Education, Winneba, we extend our deepest respect and honour to you,” the citation read.
Born on January 7, 1936, Ebo Taylor has been recognised with numerous awards for his exceptional compositions and arrangements.
Some of his notable accolades include the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Ghana Music Awards UK, the Legendary Award at the 2021 EMY Awards, the Music In Africa Honorary Award at the 2019 ACCES, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Highlife Music Awards.
He has also received accolades such as Music Legend of the Year at the 2019 Ghana Business Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, the Konkoma Award for ‘Best Arranger’ at the 1997 Ghana Music Awards, and the Cultural Ambassador’s Award presented by the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America and the Bokoor African Popular Music Archives Foundation (BAPMAF) in 2005 among others.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke