Anthony Akablay is an accomplished guitarist born in Ghana on 3rd June 1965 in Tema. He schooled in St. John’s Secondary and in 1985 he completed as a science graduate. His exploits in music begun at a tender age while in St. John’s Secondary School with the school band ‘Matthew chapter 5’.
His love for music took him around accomplished guitar players such as Paa Joe, the great Koo Nimo and Onyina among others. He blended their style of playing together, added his own style of playing, which made Akablay the most sought after guitarist in Ghana for studio sessions and live shows after he completed school. His break came when Jewel Ackah, one of the local giants in Ghanaian highlife music, invited to join his group THE BUTTERFLY SIX.
They took a tour to Europe playing in Germany, Holland and France. After playing with Jewel Ackah for some years, he spearheaded the formation of the WESTERN DIAMONDS BAND in Takoradi. In 1994, the band toured Belgium, and played on the SPHINX FESTIVAL, the WOMAD FESTVAL and NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL in London, the Delft festival in Rotterdam and played in the launching of the D.W. TV in Berlin, Germany. They also played in three American states, Kilimanjaro night club in Washington, New Jersey (Queen Elizabeth Hall), and in Bronx-New York in 1996. He also performed with Nat Brew (Amandzeba) in the SAXFI MUSIC FESTIVAL in Switzerland. In the early part of 2007, he joined Rex Omar’s NU – ASHANTI BAND, which took him to fifteen African countries.
Daddy Lumba, Ofori Amponsah, Rex Omar, Nat Brew, Felix Bell, Oland Julius from Nigeria, Sonti Ndebele from Botswana just to name a few of the musical stars Akablay has recorded with. Currently, Akablay has become a household face on almost all the television networks in Ghana and recording guitarist for almost all the local music artiste in Ghana. Akablay is one guitarist who has won popularity through sheer hard work and dedication and currently regarded as one of the finest guitarist to have emerged from Ghana.
In 2006, he was voted the best guitarist in the SUNSHINE MUSIC AWARDS.
LIFE IN THE POT is Akablay’s first personal album yet to reach the market. What else can you expert from such a local maestro, Akablay?
