Teddy Osei

Francis Osei (17 December 1935 – 14 January 2025), known as Teddy Osei, was a Ghanaian musician who was a saxophone player, drummer and vocalist, and 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 travelled 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.

Background Osei was born in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region of the Gold Coast (now Ghana). At birth, he was christened "Francis" by his parents, who were Roman Catholics. He was the second of seven children in the family. His date of birth is unknown due to the absence of record keeping in Ghana at the time; his mother later estimated that he was born in December 1935. He also frequented the Ashanti palace, where he occasionally learned folk songs from visiting musicians.

Early musical career While at college, he attempted to put together a band along with some of his friends. According to Osei, he only began to play the saxophone because the person who had volunteered for that instrument did not attend the practices. He continued to teach himself the saxophone, listening to records of jazz musicians and playing along with the music. In its early stages Osibisa had neither an agent nor a manager. The band played at psychedelic venues around London while it tried to find financial and managerial support, eventually being picked up by Gerry Bron and Lillian Bron of Bronze Records Bronze Music Management. During this period Osei played flute and African drums as well as saxophone. AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco described the Uriah Heep track he contributed to as “a powerful rocker,” praising its “tribal-sounding drum jam,” deeming the composition to be “a high point of 1970s heavy metal”.

In 1980, the band played at a concert celebrating the independence of Zimbabwe. However, by the mid 1980s, it had begun to lose some popularity but remained popular in India and other territories. Member change was common within the band, although Osei always continued to perform.