Nana Kwame Ampadu, widely considered one of Ghana's greatest musicians of all time, was a pioneering figure in highlife and Afrobeat music. Born Patrick Kwame Ampadu on March 31, 1945, in Obo Kwahu, Gold Coast (now Ghana), he would go on to be the lead singer, chief songwriter, and founder of the renowned African Brothers Band. The band was formed in 1963, with an initial line-up that included founding member Eddie Donkor, and was later renamed the African Brothers International Band in 1973. The group's name was a nod to the call for African unity by then-President Kwame Nkrumah.
Ampadu and his band achieved national prominence in 1967 with the release of the song "Ebi Te Yie" (Some Are Well Seated), a thoughtful social commentary on the growing division between the rich and poor, which later evolved into a play. He was a prolific composer, credited with over 800 songs and more than 50 LPs and 70 singles, and was also known as Odwontofoohene or "Singer-in-Chief," a title he earned by winning a nationwide competition in Ghana in 1973. Throughout his career, which was active from 1963 to 2020, Nana Ampadu's music, often full of entertaining and thoughtful lyrics, explored various themes and he and his band introduced new dance beats like Afro-reggae and Afro-hili. His song "Obra" became the theme song for a very popular Ghanaian TV drama series of the same name.
Nana Ampadu's involvement also extended into the political sphere, including composing a song for the National Democratic Congress party during the 1992 election campaign. He also served in various public positions, such as the General Secretary of the Musicians' Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) and a Kwahu South District Assembly Member. He received numerous awards, including the Grand Medal of the Volta Civil Division in 1977. Nana Ampadu passed away on September 28, 2021, at the age of 76 in Accra, Ghana.