Akablay introduces ‘Life In The Pot’

Typical Ghanaian music is produced basically using the guitar, and this indeed has helped to give our songs good and wonderful rhythms.

Contemporary musicians however fail to recognize this fact, unlike great musicians such as Agya Koo Nimo, E.K Nyame, Kakaiku, Onyina, and a host of others.

To get upcoming musicians acquainted with the guitar, one of the country’s guitarists, Anthony Akablay is planning to establish a school to guide professional guitarists to fill the vacuum in the music profession in Ghana.

The 42-year-old guitarist told Beatwaves in an interview that “we need to encourage our musicians to play guitar because African, as such, Ghanaian music, is based on the guitar. You can imagine where the industry is heading towards.

Ghana is going to loose her identity to the outside world. People have been telling me that guitar is out of our system. That is why I wanted to start a guitarist school.”

The reason assigned for ignoring the guitar, the symbol of African music, he said, was the introduction of the western keyboard which makes it easier for the artistes to play.

Bent on promoting the use of guitar in Ghana’s music, he has come out with the album “Life In The Pot.” It is a composition of rhythms, not vocal music. Some would call it jazz music but it is not. The 14-track album is something unique of African origin.

There are tracks as Acheke, Shoa in Addis Ababa, Kundun, Ahogbo petepete and other interesting rhythms.

Anthony Akablay, born in the industrial city of Tema, completed St. John’s Secondary School in the Western Region where he hails from, in 1985.

His exploits in music begun at a tender age - while he was in primary school - at his hometown, Anokyi. He was a member of the school band called the Matthew Chapter 5.

His love for music brought him into contact with accomplished guitarists such as Paa Joe, the great Koo Nimo and Onyina among others.

He blended their style of playing with his own, which made him the most sought after guitarist in Ghana for studio sessions and live shows after he completed school.

His breakthrough came when Jewel Ackah, one of the giants in Ghanaian highlife music, invited him to join his group, The Butterfly Six, after he spearheaded the formation of the Western Diamonds Band in Takoradi in 1991.

In 1994, they toured Belgium and played at the Sphinx Festival, the Womad Festival and Notting Hill Carnival in London, and many other events around the world.

Akablay was also the main recording guitarist for almost all the local musical stars in Ghana. He recorded with Daddy Lumba, Ofori Amponsah, Rex Omar, Nat Brew, Felix Bell, Orlando Julius from Nigeria, Sonti Ndebele from Botswana, Obrafour, Kofi B, the late Kojo Aquai, Dr Paa Bobo, Amy Newman, Yaw Sarpong, Wutah, Praye, etc.

He was also the guitarist and leader of the group which backed the Mentor II stars on TV3 in 2006. His hardwork thus won him an award as the best guitarist, in the Sunshine Music Awards, 2006.

He also has passion for live music and this has inspired him to form The Abiza Band, with the vision to promote live musical performances in Ghana and sell highlife music in a style to the outside world as well.