BANDS:
- The Comets
- Uhuru Band
- Bogart Sounds Sextet
- Osibisa
- Kete Warriors
BIOGRAPHY:
Mac Tontoh was a trumpet player born in Kumasi, Ghana, on December 25th, 1940. His real name was Kweku Adabanka Tonto, but he also had the nickname Kwaku Bronya.
THE COMETS
His first band (still in Ghana) was The Comets, with his brother Teddy Osei, during the early 60s.
Don´t have more info about them, sorry:
Don´t have more info about them, sorry:
|
THE COMETS #? |
? |
||
|---|---|---|---|
Mac Tontoh † trumpet | Teddy Osei sax | Sol Amarfio drums | + others unknown to me. Help! |
UHURU BAND
He then joined Uhuru Band, a sort of big band. With them, he toured several African countries.
BOGART SOUNDS SEXTET
He was also part of a shorter band, Bogart Sounds Sextet, with a few members of Uhuru Band.
He finally emigrated to Germany in 1968. This was followed by a stint in Tunis with Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio. They finally settled in London, starting a new band, Osibisa.
He finally emigrated to Germany in 1968. This was followed by a stint in Tunis with Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio. They finally settled in London, starting a new band, Osibisa.
OSIBISA
I don´t know info about all the multiple lineups for Osibisa, so I´ll just mention a few ones...
This was Osibisa in 1976:
|
OSIBISA #? |
1976 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wendell Richardson guitar, vocals | Mike Odumosu bass | Kiki Gyan † keyboards | Mac Tontoh † trumpet, percussion | Teddy Osei sax, flute, vocals | Kofi Ayivor percussion | Sol Amarfio drums |
This was the personnel for Osibisa that recorded the double live album Black magic night - live at The Royal Festival Hall in July 1977:
|
OSIBISA #? |
1977 |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wendell Richardson guitar, vocals | Mike Odumosu bass | Robert Bailey keyboards | Mac Tontoh † trumpet, percussion | Teddy Osei sax, flute, vocals | Darko Adams † percussion | Sol Amarfio drums | Sonia Lekhela backing vocals | Ntobi Mdudu backing vocals | Linda Conco backing vocals | Tiny Conco backing vocals |
This was the personnel for Osibisa around September 1982:
|
OSIBISA #? |
1982 |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wendell Richardson guitar, vocals | Spartacus R bass | Robert Bailey keyboards | Mac Tontoh † trumpet, percussion | Teddy Osei sax, flute, vocals | Loughty Amao † percussion | Darko Adams † percussion | Prinzess percussion, vocals | Sol Amarfio drums |
This was the personnel for Osibisa around April 1983:
|
OSIBISA #? |
1983 |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kari Bannerman guitar | Tony Etoria guitar | Gregg Kofi Brown bass | Errol Reid keyboards | Mac Tontoh † trumpet, percussion | Teddy Osei sax, flute, vocals | Darko Adams † percussion | Sol Amarfio drums | Frank Tontoh drums |
AND THEN...
In 1992, he came back to Ghana, building his own recording studios.
He released his solo album, Rhythms and sounds, in 1994.
He released his solo album, Rhythms and sounds, in 1994.
KETE WARRIORS
This was a band fronted by Mac, with African musicians. They toured England in 2000, followed by another tour in 2001. I remember I saw it also billed as Mac Tontoh Project.
After that, he retired from music and started working promoting the culture in his country, as well as working for kids who want to learn music.
He passed away on August 17th, 2010 at hospital in Ghana. He suffered a stroke, also had diabetes, so he came back to London for treatment at the beginning of 2010; he went through 4 operations but returned to Ghana 2 months before his death. He was 69.
After that, he retired from music and started working promoting the culture in his country, as well as working for kids who want to learn music.
He passed away on August 17th, 2010 at hospital in Ghana. He suffered a stroke, also had diabetes, so he came back to London for treatment at the beginning of 2010; he went through 4 operations but returned to Ghana 2 months before his death. He was 69.
DISCOGRAPHY: (24 albums known to me - Status: In progress)
OWN ALBUMS (2 credits)
- Mac Tontoh´s African Machine - Mac Tontoh (1996)
- Members: (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Rhythms & sounds - Mac Tontoh´s African Machine (07/2005)
- Members: (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Osibisa - Osibisa (05/1971)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Loughty Amao, Mac Tontoh)
- Producer: Tony Visconti
- Technical: Martin Rushent
- Woyaya - Osibisa (05/1972)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Loughty Amao, Mac Tontoh)
- Producer: Tony Visconti
- Heads - Osibisa (11/1972)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Loughty Amao, Mac Tontoh)
- Producer: John Punter, Tony Visconti
- Happy children - Osibisa (1973)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kofi Ayivor, Teddy Osei (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Guests: Jean Roussel
- Osibirock - Osibisa (1974)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kofi Ayivor, Teddy Osei (RIP: Kiki Gyan, Mac Tontoh)
- Comments: Recorded in the summer of 1974.
- Super fly TNT OST - Osibisa (08/1974)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kofi Ayivor, Teddy Osei (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Guests: Mike Gibbs, Gordon Hunte
- Comments: Soundtrack recorded by Osibisa in April 1973.
- Welcome home - Osibisa (11/1975)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kofi Ayivor, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Kiki Gyan, Mac Tontoh)
- Guests: Ray Allen, Barbara Thompson
- Comments: CD reissue contains bonus tracks.
- Ojah awake - Osibisa (11/1976)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kofi Ayivor, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Kiki Gyan, Mac Tontoh)
- Guests: Graham Smith
- Comments: Recorded in 1976.
- Black magic night - live at The Royal Festival Hall - Osibisa (11/1977)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- Comments: Double album, recorded live in July 1977.
- Mystic energy - Osibisa (10/1980)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Teddy Osei, Emmanuel Rentzos (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- Guests: Candy McKenzie (RIP: Rebop Kwaku Baah)
- African flight - Osibisa (1981)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Teddy Osei, Emmanuel Rentzos (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Unleashed - Osibisa (10/1982)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Pandit Dinesh, Teddy Osei, Emmanuel Rentzos (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- Comments: Recorded live in 1981.
- Live at The Marquee - Osibisa (1984)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Teddy Osei, Errol Reid, Frank Tontoh (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- Comments: Recorded live in April 1983.
- Movements - Osibisa (1989)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Frank Tontoh (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- African dawn, African flight - Osibisa (11/2002)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Teddy Osei (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Best of - Osibisa (1974)
- Members: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Wendell Richardson (RIP: Loughty Amao, Mac Tontoh)
- Look at yourself - Uriah Heep (1971)
- Members: Mick Box, Iain Clarke, Ken Hensley, Paul Newton (RIP: David Byron)
- Guests: Manfred Mann, Teddy Osei (RIP: Loughty Amao, Mac Tontoh)
- Comments: CD reissue contains bonus tracks.
- Skin deep - Peter Doyle (1977)
- Members: (RIP: Peter Doyle)
- Guests: B J Cole, Tony Hymas, Paul Keogh, Simon Phillips, Trevor Spencer, Alan Tarney, Geoff Whitehorn, Joy Yates (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
- Che che kule - Eddie Quansah (1977)
- Members: Eddie Quansah
- Guests: Ray Allen, Kofi Ayivor, Colin Bass, Tony Braunagel, Jimmy Chambers, Dick Cuthell, Winston Delandro, Rosetta Hightower, Remi Kabaka, Junior Marvin, Chris Mercer, Emmanuel Rentzos, Jerome Rimson, Terry Wilson, Pete Wingfield (RIP: Rebop Kwaku Baah, Kiki Gyan, Mac Tontoh)
- Comments: Trumpet player, he played in several albums where Chris Mercer also played. This must be his first solo album, recorded with Jimmy Chambers (vocals), Junior Kerr (guitar), Pete Wingfield (keyboards), Rebop (percussion), Colin Bass (bass, later in Camel), Jerome Rimson (bass, later with the late Phil Lynott), Terry Wilson (bass), Chris Mercer (bass), Kofi Ayivor (drums), Tony Braunagel (drums).
- Don´t lose the feeling - Beverly Johnson (1979)
- Guests: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannerman, Kevin Kendricks, Teddy Osei, Emmanuel Rentzos, Chris White (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- Producer: (RIP: Robert Wright)
- Technical: Reggie Lucas
- Comments: Osibisa appear in 2 tracks.
- Bulles - Michel Polnareff (1981)
- Guests: Mo Foster, Ricky Hitchcock, Graham Preskett, Frank Ricotti, Peter Van Hooke (RIP: Darko Adams, Mac Tontoh)
- Phases 1972-1982 - Blo (01/2002)
- Guests: Ray Allen, Katie Kissoon, Liza Strike (RIP: Mac Tontoh)
RELATED VIDEO LINKS: 3
Disclaimer: I don´t own or upload any of the videos linked here. I just include links to live videos that are already available, in order to show the work of this musician. Anyway, if someone feels that some link shouldn't be included, please write me at the email address shown below. And if you know of more videos featuring Mac Tontoh, please, also write me with the link.
- Osibisa - Music for Gong Gong (1974) Osibisa live in England in 1974. (Resolution: 360)
- Osibisa - Warrior - Sunshine Day (1983) Osibisa live at The Marquee in April 1983. (Resolution: 480)
- Osibisa - Fire (1983) Osibisa live at The Marquee in April 1983. Superb quality. (Resolution: 480)
Featuring: Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, Mac Tontoh. Rest of the band unknown to me.
Featuring: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannermann, Gregg Kofi Brown, Tony Etoria, Teddy Osei, Daku Potato, Errol Reid, Frank Tontoh, Mac Tontoh.
Featuring: Sol Amarfio, Kari Bannermann, Gregg Kofi Brown, Tony Etoria, Teddy Osei, Daku Potato, Errol Reid, Frank Tontoh, Mac Tontoh.
RELATED MUSICIANS:
Mac Tontoh mostly worked with these musicians: (name + number of credits)
Teddy Osei (18)
Sol Amarfio (17)
Darko Adams (7)
Robert Bailey (7)
Jean Mandengue (7)
Wendell Richardson (7)
Kofi Ayivor (6)
Kari Bannerman (6)
Loughty Amao (5)
Ashley Howe (5)
Page created by Miguel Terol on: 27/August/2010 - Last modified on: 30/August/2010. If you want to contribute with info, please write to: molympus1@gmail.com
Please, note than you can check the indexes (musicians, bands, obituaries) at the top of this page.
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