The funeral service for celebrated Ghanaian musician and saxophonist Teddy Osei, a founding member of the legendary Afro-rock band Osibisa, will take place on Saturday, April 5, at 9:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Basilica, Roman Hill, Kumasi.
Before the service, his body will lie in state at his family home in Chirapatre, Kumasi, starting at 8:00 a.m. The burial will occur at the Chirapatre Royal Cemetery later that day. A thanksgiving service will be held on Sunday, April 6, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Chirapatre, followed by the final funeral rites at the family home from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The respected musician passed away on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the age of 88.
Born in Kumasi, Osei developed an interest in music as a child and began playing the saxophone while attempting to start a band with his college friends in Sekondi.
After college, he worked as a building inspector for a year before forming “The Comets,” a band that had a short-lived popularity. In 1962, he received a Ghanaian government scholarship to study music and drama in London for three years, but had to leave the program due to a political change in Ghana.
In 1969, Osei co-founded Osibisa, which gained international recognition in the 1970s. Although the band’s popularity waned, it still performs today.
