Jerry Hansen & The Ramblers Dance band - Ama Bonsu Year of Release - 1968 Jerry Hansen was one of the pioneers of highlife music. He was born in Bekwai, Ashanti Region, Gold Coast (Ghana) on 23rd February, 1927. In 1939, Hansen left Bekwai to continue his early education at the Methodist School in Koforidua. He enrolled at Achimota School for his secondary education, there he interacted and learned from musical icons such as; Ms. Parnell and Mr. Philip Gbeho. Hansen was unable to pay his school fees thus had to leave Achimota School. He later joined the Accra Academy where he completed his secondary education after obtaining his Oxford and Cambridge certificates in 1947. In 1961, Jerry Hansen founded the Ramblers International Band with Eddie Owoo, Frank Coffie, Kwesi Forson, Aryee Hammond and a few others (nine in total). He later recruited five other musicians to join the band. The band came into existence through the efforts of one Mr. Zakkour who was the manager of Metropole Hotel. The band was given serious publicity and support from the Nkrumah government. They were the chosen band to perform for Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Ghana. In 1962, the Ghana government sponsored the band and they toured about eighteen African countries which included Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Kenya, the Gambia. In 1964, Nana Ampadu joined the band briefly. After he and Hansen had struck an acquaintance, he gave Hansen eight songs for free which he recorded with the band. Hansen introduced Nana Ampadu to recording publishers; Phillips West Africa Ltd and Nana Ampadu was given a chance to record two songs. In 1965, Hansen gained a government scholarship to study Photo and Forensic Laboratory management at Czechoslovakia. There, he had a rare chance of doing musical gigs with Karel Velebny; a famous jazz musician and his S & H Quintet (Spejbl and Huvínek Quintet) in Prague. In 1967, That same year the band was sponsored by the Ghana Union of Great Britain and Ireland to embark on a six-week tour of the United Kingdom. They performed in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester. They toured Czechoslovakia that same year. The band also performed in the United States of America and for the Ghana National Trust Fund and other charitable organizations In 1974, Hansen helped found the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) and was elected president of the union. In the early 1980s, The deteriorating economic situation in the country made it impossible for the band to continue. Hansen left for the United States of America where he spent most of his later years. Hansen went on to release over 200 songs until his death on 7th April, 2012 in Accra, Ghana. no copyright infringement intended. #ghanatiktok #ghanamusic #highlife #afrobeat - @highlifeghana