Description
If you've attended DJ Lubi's African music concerts at Brudenell Social Club in the last few year's - KOG, Santrofi, London Afrobeat Collective, Jembaa Groove, ONIPA, KOG & The Zongo Brigade - then you must try get to this one. Ghana's living legend of highlife Pat Thomas....."Mr Golden Voice Of Africa".....live with his young band of top musicians, the Kwashibu Area Band.
He began his musical career in Ghana back in the 1960s, scoring hit albums and singles in the decades that followed, both as a solo artist and his much loved collaborations with fellow Ghanaian music legend Ebo Taylor. After almost a decade without releasing music, he came back strong in 2015 with his debut release for UK label Strut Records, "Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band" (featuring special guest and godfather of afrobeat Tony Allen on drums). The album was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of his musical career. It was a great critical success and following it's release, Pat and the band hit the road and after a memorable performance at WOMEX in Budapest, they never looked back. The next two years took them around the world to play at major venues and festivals including Glastonbury, Roskilde (Denmark), WOMAD, Sakifo (France), WOMADelaide (Australia), Sines (Portugal) to name a few. In 2019, Pat released a second album for Strut records - "Obiaa!" - and again, it garnered great reviews.
“”joyous… radiant and full of light” – The Guardian
“The torchbearer for highlife returns with a new album that is full of timeless charm” - Radio Nova (France)
“Afrobeat meets highlife in another spirited set from veteran bandleader enjoying a late career-surge in popularity” - Sunday Times
“A deep and soulful journey into the heart of Ghana’s highlife music” - Vinyl Factory
Born in 1946 in Agona, in the Ashanti Region, he began to study guitar and play drums at an early age, influenced by his musician uncle. He became a notable composer, and as a teenager, established a reputation on the local club scene as a singer. In 1971, he moved to Accra to join Ebo Taylor's legendary highlife band The Blue Monks. Their residency at the Tip Toe Nite Club is an important part of modern Ghanaian cultural history. He also played in two other legendary bands from the period - The Broadway Dance Band and Stargazers.
In 1974, he formed the band Sweet Beans and with them, he recorded his first album "False Lover" for Gapophone Records. He recorded his second album "Pat Thomas Introduces Marijata" with theband Marijata, another funky Ghanaian group that backed him and had their own unique identity. He recorded one more album with the trio in 1977, 'Pat Thomas & Marijata", as his final date for Gapophone. After the coup in Ghana in 1979, he relocated to Europe and lived at times in Berlin and London before later settling in Canada in 1990. He became a university lecturer but still continued to release music and tour internationally. In 2015, with the release of the Strut Records debut album and a new young band, he was once again at the forefront of Ghanaian and African music worldwide. A true original purveyor of the old school funky highlife musical style, they don't make them like this anymore. Pat Thomas....."Mr Golden Voice Of Africa"....if you love highlife and afrobeat, this is one show not to be missed.
Main support act still to be confirmed but Leeds' top African music DJ Ras Myles (Afroshake), will be on the decks with his Pan-African sounds past, present and future. He's been the warm up DJ for all the DJ Lubi African music Brudenell shows in the last 2 years including Santrofi, KOG, ONIPA and Jembaa Groove. Great DJ, quality music.
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