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Independent AfricaFounding member of Osibisa band, Sol Amarfio, passes on

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Founding member of Osibisa band, Sol Amarfio, passes on

World-renowned percussionist Sol Amarfio, a founding member of the band Osibisa, has passed away.

He died at age 84. According to reports, he passed away on Tuesday, December 13.

On December 14, the acting president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) informed Graphic Showbiz of his passing.

The self-taught Amarfio, known as The Rhythm Man when he was young, toured the globe with Osibisa. His flawless sense of timing served as the foundation for the band’s contagious sound.

Amarfio, who is also a composer, is well known for his song Woyaya and worked closely with the other Osibisa members to produce some of the group’s most charming compositions.

Amarfio, who was born in 1938 in Asere, Accra, played with the Rhythm Aces, Star Gazers, and Comets bands in Ghana before traveling to England via Liberia, Spain, and France in 1961.

Before Osibisa was founded in 1969, he collaborated with other Ghanaian artists stationed in London, including George Lee and Willie Cheetham, for performances throughout Europe and North Africa.

When he reached 80 years old in 2018, the management of +233 organized a concert to honor him.

“I do what comes naturally to me behind the drums. I don’t force out anything. I grew up with a lot of music and dance around me and the swing of those things sipped into me. Life is exciting when you travel and earn money while doing what you truly love,” Amarfio told Graphic Showbiz in an interview in 2018.

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