Teddy Osei

Teddy Osei
Osei performing with Osibisa in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Francis Osei
Born	December 1937 Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana
Genres	Afro-pop
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Saxophone, flute, drums, vocals
Years active	1969–present
Associated acts	Osibisa
Website	osibisa.co.uk

Teddy Osei (born December 1937) is a musician and saxophone player from Ghana. Osei is best known as the leader of the Afro-pop band Osibisa, founded in 1969. Born in Kumasi, Osei was introduced to musical instruments while still a child. He began to play the saxophone while attempting to create a band with his college friends in the coastal city of Sekondi. After graduating from college, he worked as a building inspector for a year before creating a band called "The Comets." The Comets enjoyed brief popularity before Osei traveled to London in 1962. He received a grant from the Ghanaian government to study at a private music and drama school for three years, before being forced to leave by a regime change in Ghana. In 1969, he founded Osibisa along with several other musicians. The band remained popular through the 1970s, before experiencing a decline, although it continues to perform today.

Osei was born in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region of Ghana. At birth, he was christened "Francis" by his parents, who were Roman Catholics. He was the second of seven children in the family. His date of birth is unknown due to the absence of record keeping in Ghana at the time; his mother later estimated that he was born in December 1937. In keeping with his family's tradition, each child was given a different last name. Teddy Osei was named after the Ashanti king Osei Tutu. Osei's father was an amateur musician who played the horn in the local church band, thus exposing Osei to music while he was still young. He was introduced to traditional musical instruments by his school teacher, and played the bass drum in the school band. He also frequented the Ashanti palace, where he occasionally learned folk songs from visiting musicians. After completing pre-school, Osei was enrolled at a Catholic mission school, where he experienced harsh discipline. He later stated that he had been more afraid of the teachers there than any others in his life. He became a popular athlete at the school, as well as an altar boy.

Following his graduation, Osei worked as an office boy for a year, before moving to Sekondi to study draftsmanship at a college. Sekondi was an important commercial and cultural hub, and he encountered a number of modern musicians and genres there. During this time he was influenced by Kwame Nkrumah, and supported his political party and its campaign against British colonialism. After completing his degree, Osei returned to Kumasi and worked as a building inspector for a brief while, before choosing to become a professional musician.