The burial mass of famous Ghanaian saxophonist and musician Teddy Osei, a founding member of the legendary Afro-rock group Osibisa, will be held on Saturday, April 5 at 9:00 am at St. Peter’s Basilica, Roman Hill, Kumasi.
He will first be laid in state at 8:00 am at his family’s home in Chirapatre, Kumasi.
The burial mass will be followed by interment at the Chirapatre Royal Cemetery on Saturday.
There will be a Thanksgiving service on Sunday, April 6 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Chirapatre, followed by final funeral rites from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the same day at the family house in Chirapatre.
The distinguished music icon sadly passed away at the age of 88 on Tuesday morning, January 14, 2025.
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.