image courtesy of Bristol City Council
Hundreds of years ago, Europeans began to trade Africans as slaves.
They were taken to the USA, South America and the Caribbean Islands.
Thousands died through ill treatment.
Years later, their descendents still remember the music and stories of their African ancestors.
In London, people from the Caribbean got to know Africans living in London. Caribbeans and Africans played music together, and traded musical ideas.
They combined Caribbean musical styles like Calypso, Ska and Reggae with African styles like Highlife.
Osibisa
Osibisa means 'happy exploding rhythms' in the Ghanaian language. Osibisa took musical styles developed by Africans in Africa, South America, the USA and the Caribbean and put these together in powerful and energetic ways. Osibisa's high energy music was an important influence on Courtney.Listen to the track Osibisa from Courtney's Devotion album - his tribute to this great band.
"Contemporary music should reflect contemporary life. It is a matter of absorbing the influences of today and speaking them through the jazz language. In Europe our heritage is different - we're closer to Africa. There's a lot of spices here, Caribbean spices, African spices, closer to the melting pot..."
Courtney Pine: BBC Radio 2
Today, growing numbers of musicians from many African countries live in European cities.
At the same time, musical styles developed by descendents of Africans in Americas have returned to Africa , to be developed in yet more new and exciting ways.
- Research, and present their findings, on other African musical styles (e.g.highlife)
Osibisa
Osibisa is a British-based Afro-Rock band combining rhythms from Africa and Latin America in unique and exciting ways. Osibisa derives from a Ghanaian term, meaning criss-crossing and exploding happy rhythms. Formed in London in 1969, the band's music mixes Highlife, Caribbean styles, R& B and funk. The music and performance style of Osibisa influenced young Courtney, as he got to know the music of the band through his friendship with Frank Tontoh, one of the musician's sons.
"I found myself around his house asking his dad, MacTontah, for advice. Osibisa gave me the high-energy attitude that I have to presenting music, and I had to do a tribute track for all of them.
Courtney Pine: BBC Radio 2 "