In 1950, Onyina set out on his own and became an itinerant musician. J.E. Owiredu, a university professor, took Onyina under his wing and introduced him to the music of jazz guitar greats like Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery. Onyina soon formed a trio and the group grew steadily. Along with singer Agyakum, he introduced jazz harmonies into highlife. In 1961, the group took first place in a national guitar band competition, leading directly to the young band leader's crowning as King Onyina.

Onyina accompanied Ghana's President Kwame Nkrumah on a tour of African states in 1963, and the following year, the band was invited to record for Decca in London. In 1972, Onyina formed a new group, Sweet Melodies, with other highlife veterans. Though still alive, he has not been active musically in recent years. A 1999 release of his classic Decca recordings documents Onyina and his band at a point of exceptional creativity. ">

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King Onyina
West Africa
Ghana
King Onyina
While not widely known, King Onyina was a powerful creative force in Ghana's highlife music. Read more on King Onyina...
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