He was a teenager when he joined one of the most famous African bands in the world. Kiki Gyan, a Ghanaian keyboard player, became a member of Osibisa in the 1970s, touring internationally and playing alongside musicians twice his age. His talent was obvious. His life afterwards became a story of brilliance and loss.
Early life
Kiki Gyan was born in Takoradi, Ghana, on 7 June 1957. He showed musical talent from a young age and was playing professionally while still in his early teens.
Osibisa
Osibisa, formed in London in 1969 by Ghanaian and Caribbean musicians, blended African rhythms with rock, jazz and funk. Its hits included “Sunshine Day” and “Dance the Body Music”. Gyan joined in the early 1970s, aged about 15, adding his keyboards to the band’s sound.
24 Hours in a Disco
After leaving Osibisa in 1979 to go solo, Gyan recorded “24 Hours in a Disco”. The single reached the charts in Britain and the United States and remains popular with collectors of African disco.
Solo work
He recorded other solo material in the late 1970s and early 1980s, combining disco, funk and African grooves.
Collaborations
Gyan played with leading musicians in London and in Africa, and was respected as one of the best keyboard players of his generation.
Struggles
Fame came early and was hard to manage. Gyan struggled with drug addiction, which affected his career for many years.
Return to Ghana
He eventually returned to Ghana, where he lived in difficult circumstances. A documentary and articles later told his story.
His death
Kiki Gyan died at home in June 2004, aged 46, after years of illness linked to drug abuse.
Rediscovery
Reissue labels and DJs have revived interest in his solo recordings, introducing his music to new listeners.
A warning
Musicians who knew him speak of his talent and of what the music industry and addiction cost him.
Osibisa’s sound
Osibisa’s music was built on African percussion, horns and guitars, with keyboards adding colour and drive. Gyan’s playing gave the band a funkier edge in the late 1970s, and his skill at such a young age made him a favourite with audiences.
Ghana’s disco era
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many Ghanaian musicians in London and Accra experimented with disco and boogie. Gyan’s records are among the best-known examples of that moment, when African musicians brought their own rhythms to the dance-floor sounds of the time.
Kiki Gyan reached the world stage before most musicians reach their first band. His records are still played in clubs, by DJs who have heard the talent even if they never knew the story.
