Difference between revisions of "E.T. Mensah and the Tempos"
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| + | Bob Johnson notes: | ||
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| + | “The Tempos jazzy highlife sound became the sound-symbol or zeitgeist of the early independence era as its use of a western jazz-combo format to play African music reflected independence itself, when the western socio-economic colonial format became Africanized”. | ||
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For an example of highlife's Ghanaian social commentary, infused by American-Cuban musical style, listen to the [http://www.fwalive.ualberta.ca/~michaelf/MENAME/Inflation_Calypso.mp3 Inflation Calypso]. | For an example of highlife's Ghanaian social commentary, infused by American-Cuban musical style, listen to the [http://www.fwalive.ualberta.ca/~michaelf/MENAME/Inflation_Calypso.mp3 Inflation Calypso]. | ||
Revision as of 12:21, 25 September 2007
Bob Johnson notes:
“The Tempos jazzy highlife sound became the sound-symbol or zeitgeist of the early independence era as its use of a western jazz-combo format to play African music reflected independence itself, when the western socio-economic colonial format became Africanized”.
For an example of highlife's Ghanaian social commentary, infused by American-Cuban musical style, listen to the Inflation Calypso.
Mensah composed over forty highlife tunes in support of Ghana's first leader, Kwame Nkrumah, provide music at major CCP rallies and accompany the leader on State visits to neighboring countries.
E.T. Mensah composed the following songs in support of Ghanaian nationalism, utilizing the highlife idiom, strongly influenced by jazz, even as nationalism was influenced by African-American intellectual figures, such as WEB Dubois.
