Just at the time his MOTHERLAND was proclaimed
GHANA(formerly GOLD COAST) KWADJO ASUMADU
BAFFOE saw the light of life.The first of 8 boys and 1 girl.
Around the tender ages of two and three he would
dance endlessly when his father with his uncles played
their GUITAR,ACCORDION and PENPENSWA(a locally-
made Kalimba-like instrument).They played their
instruments and sung as well.His mother still sings
with the local Adenkum group.A musical family.
As a native of NKWABEN-NKORANZA, the cocoa-rich
farming areas of the Brong Ahafo Region, his father
gave him a good elementary boarding school as well
as a secondary-commercial education.At the Agogo
Sec-Com.college he learnt to play the Guitar very fast.
At the age of sixteen he already spoke many languages,
played good theatre(Shakespeare etc),played the guitar
and sang in various repetoires,ranging from Soul,
Rock..n Roll,to Latin American.His popularity had
begun.
This versatile charachter of him earned him the name
..COSMOS.. at campus.From now on he would jam
with BANDS when he was on holidays,
the PAlace Captains, Midnite Movers,Starlite, Unity Stars
etc.In the early seventies he led the ELDORADOS BAND
of the Aboso Glass Factory and recorded hits like
..Fanfool Respect..,Africa monso mu,..Huhuuhu nye
mehu..
etc.A cross-over type of music even at that time.
At this time ALAN COSMOS instantly became a
Teenage-Star.Specially loved by students and the youth.
In his ambition to explore wider horizons(as he gave in
an interview by one Danso Missah of Ghanaian Times)
Alan moved his group to the Harbour City of Tema and
formed the JEM MOVEMENT BAND of the newly opened
Jem Nite Club.The Band toured Gambia and Senegal
during the 1978 Independence celebrations.
Late in the same year his dream to travel overseas
came
true.SIR ALAN COSMOS(as he was affectionetly called)
moved with his seven-piece band to settle in Germany.
After some years stay in germany, he replaced some of
the band members with three european
musicians.Under
the Band name UNIQUE they recorded the album
..SANKOFA in 1983.The production was by Uwe Müller..s
TPA Management under BOOTS RECORDS Label.Songs
on that album included Àkua Afriyie..and ..Tano Street...
He now saw the necessity of using his African identity
precisely and therefore changed to BAMBAARA
SOUNDZ,
meaning gigantic.Many call him Mr Bambaara.
In 1984 he recorded the SUNSHINE MUSIC FOR YOUR
PLEASURE album with songs like ..Yeegu Nsa..
..Fontonfrom.., and S o ca.The songs became instant
hits especially because it was the first time Ghanaians
were treated to a fusion of hi-life with the electric
drums.It was a sensation and an ivorian producer
Gibbs Doussou,on hearing the songs on air,flew to
meet Alan in Accra and signed a distribution deal
with him.Tano Records was the Label of the album.
In 1987 he recorded the Album with ..Accra Calling..
..Gumbe Dancing.. etc with the production assistance
of Micheal Karch of Polygram Hannover.On this album
Alan played all the instruments himself apart from the
horns.He also engaged in sound engineering.
The man wanted to explore higher musical horizons
and not to compromise with a mainstream hype.
In 1989 he met one Mike Stachella a music tutor
and freelance journalist with NDR Germany.Together
with some students of the University in Hildesheim
they formed the FRONTLINE-REGGAE formation-
BAMBAARA & THE SPECIAL REQUEST.a great Live act
that performed in many shows and open-air festivals
in the early 1990..s in germany and other european
countries.
All around this time Alan kept his ROOTS alive and
played in a DRUM and PERCUSSION group called
AKUTU in Hannover.This was a multinational band.
As a stage performer he made a big impact with his
project BAMBAARA & THE SPECIAL REQUEST.With
songs like ..Abolish Apartheid Now..and ..Mama we
are living on the Frontline...they did contribute a lot
to preach anti -apartheid and Mandela-freedom.
The band recorded their album..Fashion Philosophy..
in 1993 under T-BWana records.Songs like ..Unity is
Energy..,Fashion Philosophy..and ..Odo ka kyere me..
did feature prominently on the GBC Television.
Although ALAN COSMOS has been residing in Europe
since 1978 his music pops up every now and then on
the ghanaian music scene,his homecountry.
Now as a singer,multiinstrumentalist,bandleader,
composer,and a COSMOPOLITAN artiste,he says his
aim is to settle back home in ghana to continue his
career and assist up and coming musicians.
Yaw Amoh Baffoe
Why?
Fashion Philosophy
