Search - C.K. Mann :: Funky Highlife

C.K. Mann made his name as a virtuoso guitar player in Ghana when he played with Moses Kweku Oppong in the Kakaikus Guitar Band in the early 60s. He then became the leader of the band Ocean s Strings until 1966. In 1968, he enjoyed a hit with the single Edina Benya.

This album came out of the Essiebons label, run by Dick Essilfe Bondzie. The album could have been a massive hit in Ghana, but due to the country s economic downturn, the factories ran out of vinyl and demand for the record could not be met.

In the late 90s hip-hop producers started hearing about Afrobeat through the sounds of Fela Kuti. Then Steinski, one of the most influential producers in hip-hop, sampled Mann s song Asafo Beesoun and suddenly all the hip-hop collectors wanted it! The original LP is a hard-to-find and highly sought-after collector s item.