Teddy Osei | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Osei performing with Osibisa in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francis Osei |
| Born | 1 December 1937 Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana |
| Genres | Afro-pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, flute, drums, vocals[1] |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Website | osibisa.co.uk |
Teddy Osei (born December 1937) is a musician and saxophone player from Ghana. Osei is best known as the leader of the Afro-pop band Osibisa, founded in 1969. Born in Kumasi, Osei was introduced to musical instruments while still a child. He began to play the saxophone while attempting to create a band with his college friends in the coastal city of Sekondi. After graduating from college, he worked as a building inspector for a year before creating a band called "The Comets." The Comets enjoyed brief popularity before Osei traveled to London in 1962. He received a grant from the Ghanaian government to study at a private music and drama school for three years, before being forced to leave by a regime change in Ghana. In 1969, he founded Osibisa along with several other musicians. The band remained popular through the 1970s, before experiencing a decline, although it continues to perform today.