Solomon Amarfio (Sol )

Sol Amarfio aka The Rhythm Man, a celebrated drummer with unique skills and founding member of the great London-based Afro-pop Band, Osibisa playing drum. Circa 1970.
 
As Remi Kabaka, a famous Nigerian musician/drummer once said "The drums are the beginning of mankind, the heartbeat of mankind. Drums are healing and are the very essence of life. That is why it is very important to celebrate our ancestry with drums" (Aniagolu, 2004). In living in tune with the statement above, Ghana has produced a cornucopia of skillful and almost godlike drummer maestros in the persons of Kofi Ghanaba (Guy Warren Akwei) aka The Divine Drummer and his son (Glenn Warren), Obo Addy and his siblings (Mustapha and Yacub Addy), Reboop Kwaku Baah (who died whilst playing band to thousands of people on stage), Okyerema Asante, Kofi Ayivor and others. It is among this galaxy of talented drummers that Solomon Amarkai Amartefio also belongs. He has paid his dues beyond reasonable doubt!

Sol Amarfio aka "Rhythm Man" is one of the most talented and skillful drummers that made it big time to the global. He holds an enviable record as one of the original founding member of the international chart busting London based Afro-pop group, Osibisa. Sol Amarfio also played in the best local bands like Rhythm Aces, Stargarzers, Comet and Black Star Band. In his glorious career with Osibisa, Sol single-handedly write Osibisa`s chart-breaking songs: Sunshine Day (1976), and Dance the Body (1976), as well as The Warrior, Keep on Trying and Ojah Awake (1977). All these songs has been re-made by some international artists with Sol Amarfio`s support. One of the interesting stories about Sol is that, of all the Osibisa musicians he was the only one that was attacked on stage by a fan and was injured seriously.

Sol Amarfio is touted as one of the greatest time-keepers when it comes to music and drumming. In the words of Spartacus R, his fellow Osibisa bands mate, Sol is a "fantastic time-keeper" and "one of the best time-keepers in the industry." This attribute comes to the fore when the group is performing on stage, rehearsals or in recording studios. In fact, he is a great workaholic and always has kind words of encouragement to the young acts in the music industry. For Sol if young Ghanaian musicians want to go far with their career, they must be disciplined and dedicated to their profession. Citing Osibisa band as an example during a seminar dubbed "Going Global with your Music: The Osibisa Experience by Bessa Simons" held at the University of Ghana-Legon, Sol said one of the main ingredients for the success of Osibisa is their dedication to creativity and innovation and with their strong cultural background, it was relatively easier for them to fuse this with the various influences they had been exposed to (Ghanagist.com 2016).
 
Solomon Amarkai Amarfio is a native Ga man born on the 22nd September 1938 in Accra. His parent had 8 children, and Sol is one of four boys and four girls. He was third of the boys. Apart from his own uterine siblings, Sol had nine half brothers and sisters. He had his primary and elementary school in Accra. Talented and jovial child, at the age 14 he started playing with his older brother who was on bass with Owula E. T Mensah`s Tempos band led by E.T.Mensah. When Sol`s senior brother discovered that Sol possesses an extraordinary drumming skills at that tender age, he nicknamed him "The Rhythm Man."

When Sol Amarfio completed his Elementary school at the age of 16, his brother introduced him to his buddy, an ace saxophonist Spike Anyankor, who was with the Rhythm Aces Super group. Thus, in 1954, Sol Amarfio started his musical drumming apprenticeship with the Rhythm Aces band. After three years of playing and horning his skill with the band, Sol and some members of the band left together and went to Kumasi to become a foundation members of a new band, THE STARGARZERS BAND. The band was full of skillful and super-talented young artists such as Ebo Taylor, Eddie Quansah, Joe Mensah, Pat Thomas, and Teddy Osei. As Sol Amarfio rightly posits on Osibisa`s own website, "I met Teddy for the first time. He was the sax player in the band."
 
In his time with THE STARGARZERS BAND, The group released albums/LPs including Stars Are Dancing (1959), Come to Kumasi Ashanti High Lifes (1960), High Life 1962. Some of their single hits include the Stargarzers (1959), Stargazers Dance Band`s combo with Joss Aikins & the Stars - Mahao Ma Mawo / Apeteshi (1959), Stargazers Dance Band combo with E.T. Mensah And His Tempos Band - Ghana Musical Box Volume Two (1961) which were all recorded with under Decca label, except Take-Off For Highlife No. 2, which was recorded under Philips, Philips-West African-Records label were released. 

In January 1961, Sol Amarfio left Ghana for England to seek better deal for his musical career. Whilst adjusting to the life there, his fellow bandsman, Teddy Osei from the Kumasi-based STARGAZERS also arrived in England in 1962 with some other African musicians, which enabled them to perform gigs here and there for the African community. In a short time, Teddy Osei with Sol Amarfio and Mac Tontoh formed their COMET BAND. In 1964 they recorded Kwateng Da Yie, which was included in African Highlife - Red Hot Rhythms of Modern Africa played by Top Native Orchestras and was issued under Fontana Recording label. They followed swiftly with Kwaa Kwaa (LP/Compact) , a high life hit which was also released under Philips record label.
 
Sol Amarfio and his best friends Teddy Osei and Mac Tontoh later put their band on holiday to join the star-studded BLACK STAR BAND with artist like Taylor, Eddie Davies, Eddie Quansah, Fred Coker, Joss Aikins, Olu George, Oscarmore Ofori, and Sammy Obot. The band in no time also released single LPs: Abrokyiri Awo Yi / Ekuona Rhythm and Odo Ye Wu / Obaa Amponsa Pandogo ‎under Ekuona Tone label in 1965. 

It was from their move from the BLACK STAR BAND that Teddy Osei with Sol Amarfio, Mac Tontoh, in collaboration with Spartacus R, and Wendell Richards to form the famous Afro-Pop group, Osibisa in 1969. This was at the time that Remi Kabaka had left with Ginger Baker to form Airforce Band; otherwise Remi would have been original member. This is captured in C. Aniagolu`s 2004 book, "Osibisa: Living in the State of Happy Vibes and Criss Cross Rhythms."
 
Sol played an important role during the deliberation in the choice of the name Osibisa for the group. Though it was Teddy Osei who suggested the name Osibisa for the new band, but as Wendell Richardson explains "To be frank, it was really Teddy, Mac and Sol who came up with the name after we have tossed out several suggestions" (Aniagolu, 2004).

In the writing of the history of the Osibisa`s formation, Sol Amarfio`s name shall always be written in the stars. Ab initio, it was through Sol that Ginger Baker, the celebrated British musician who has fascination for African continent and its people and had earlier found Airforce Band with Remi Kabaka and Steve Winwood in Nigeria, would hire the then avant-garde Afro-pop group, Osibisa as his backing band for a gig at the London Polytechnic. The two (Sol and Baker) met at "smoking sessions" at the house of Sierra Leonean girl who both musicians have serious feelings for. 

Sol explains that during the London Polytechnic gig Ginger Baker suddenly topped the bill and introduced songs like Ayekoo Bia into his set. "But these were our songs and when we came on as pre-arranged to play the same songs with him but with real spirit and African originality the crowd went wild. Ginger freaked and said we should come off the stage or he wouldn't return to finish his set. So completely had we captured the mood of the audience….. It was our first big gig and I was shaking. My legs were buckling because the response was so overwhelming. The whole place was shaking. We tore Baker to shreds (Aniagolu, 2004)

After the band became instant phenomenon in U.K, fans from all over the world also asked for their presence to grace their functions. These performances went with serious entertainment, joy and opportunities. As it is with fame, it also comes with occupational hazards. Thus, Sol Amarkai Amarfio became one of the first Osibisa bandsmen to be attacked whilst the group was playing on stage. The incident happened at a company dinner hall at Newcastle when a young man who appeared to be enjoying himself suddenly leaped onto the stage, took a cymbal and cymbal stand and threw it across the stage hitting Sol across the chest and cutting him deeply. When the young man was arrested he confessed that Sol and his Osibisa friends on stage reminds him of how Adolf Hitler controlled people, and "the way the people were losing their heads… he thought he had to do something about it, he had to fight against Hitler" (Aniagolu, 2004)

Apart from Osibisa, Sol`s songs can also be spotted on Kim & Reggie Harris` 1999 album "Guide My Feet", Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers 1999 album "Summer Holiday" DJ Tracy Young`s 2001 "Winter Party, Vol. 4", Dion Parson`s "21st Century", Africanism III`s "Africanism Allstars (2005)", Terry Landis` "Barefoot Through the Music (2009)" The 5th Dimension Band`s album "Portrait/Love's Lines, Angles & Rhymes/Individually & Collectively/Living Together, Growing Together (1973), issued 2007 and reissued in 2015 and many more. 
Sol Amarfio is an icon that deserves to be celebrated!!
 
Source
Aniagolu, C. (2004). Osibisa: Living in the State of Happy Vibes and Criss Cross Rhythms. Trafford Publishing.
Ghanagist.com (2016). "Be disciplined and dedicated to your profession – Founding member of Osibisa, Sol Amarfio advises young musicians".http://ghanagist.com/sol-amarfio-advises-young-musicians/