E. T. Mensah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Emmanuel Tettey Mensah (1919-05-31)31 May 1919 |
| Died | 19 July 1996(1996-07-19) (aged 77) |
| Genres | Highlife |
Emmanuel Tettey Mensah (31 May 1919[2] – 19 July 1996)[3] was aGhanaian musician who was regarded as the "King ofHighlife" music. He led The Tempos, a band that toured widely in West Africa.[4]
Mensah was born atAccra, in theGold Coast, West Africa.[5] His early education took place at the Government School, Accra, and later atAccra High School. At the age of 12 he learned to playflute in the Government School band and in 1932 he began playingpiccolo and flute in the Accra Orchestra, a schoolchildren's band. The leader of the Accra Orchestra at the time was a teacher, Joe Lamptey, who gathered talented young people together to form a band. Mensah continued to play with this orchestra and also learnt to play thealto-saxophone. His musical career was given an opportunity when he was able to finance his own musical ventures by opening apharmacy.[6]
E. T. Mensah also has an elder brother, Yebuah Mensah, who was the leader of a dance orchestra in the Gold Coast.[7] Yebuah Mensah and his younger brother E. T. Mensah formed the Accra Rhythmic Orchestra,[8] which won the Lambeth Walk Dance Competition in 1939 at the King George Memorial Hall, now known as the Parliament House inGhana.[9]
The original "Tempos" band was formed in 1946 as a "jam session" group by some European soldiers stationed in Accra. It played for army dances and at the Accra club. Over time, African musicians replaced the European ones, until finally it became an all-African band, led by Joe Kelly and thenGuy Warren.[1] Mensah joined the band in 1947. Shortly after this the band split up, to be reformed again with Mensah as its leader.[6] The group gained international attention and in 1957 Mensah performed withLouis Armstrong.
The highlife style of music started to decline in the 1960s, but E. T. Mensah remained active for years afterwards.[10] He co-starred on a highly successful album with theNigerian trumpeterDr Victor Abimbola Olaiya.[11]
