Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian Highlife Legend, Dies at 90

Ghanaian music legend Ebo Taylor has passed away, reports from his official social media accounts confirm.

Ebo Taylor died on February 7th, 2026 at the Saltpond Hospital, according to a statement from the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).  Taylor was 90-years-old and had just launched the Ebo Taylor Festival a day before his death.

"The world has lost a giant. A colossus of African music," the Ghanaian legend's social media posted in a statement. "Ebo Taylor passed away yesterday; a day after the launch of Ebo Taylor Music Festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday, leaving behind an unmatched artistry legacy. Ebo Taylor your light will never fade."

Ebo Taylor was born on January 6th, 1936 in Cape Coast, Ghana. The iconic Ghanaian musician had been a key figure in the evolving highlife and Afrobeat sound since his arrival in the late 1950s. 

Taylor took his group the Black Star Highlife Band to London in the 1960s, which led him to collaborate with Fela Kuti. He later went on to lead the Ghana Black Star Band and the Uhuru Dance Band back in Ghana, and also worked with groups like Apagya Show Band,CK Mann and Pat Thomas in the 1970s.

In 2010, Taylor released his first internationally distributed album, Love and Death, on Strut Records. That album was followed by 2012's Appia Kwa Bridge and 2018's Yen Ara,  among many other notable releases.

His legacy lives on in the countless African and international musicians influenced by his sound.