Essiebons

C.K. Mann

C.K. Mann was born in 1936 in Cape Coast. He made his name by modernising Osode, traditional music of the fishermen of Ghana. C.K Mann wanted Osode to appeal to a wider audience so he changed the instruments used by adding the guitar, the organ and bass while still maintaining some of the original ingredients such as the hand-claps, and the call and response style of singing. After the success of Osode, C.K. introduced wind instruments: the saxophone and trumpet, into his band, The Carousel 7.

In 1972, he released the album “Funky Highlife” on Essiebons. It was hugely popular; however supply of the record was short as there was a shortage of the materials needed to make vinyl records in factories in Ghana at the time.