10 iconic black activists who visited Ghana in the 50s and 60s

Elizabeth Ofosuah Johnson February 01, 2019
10 iconic black activists who visited Ghana in the 50s and 60s
Louis Armstrong and wife  in Ghana 

Louis Armstrong -1956

With just a year to gain full independence from the British and with Kwame Nkrumah as Prime minister, Louis Armstrong , celebrated African American Jazz musicians and trumpeter visited Ghana.

His two-day visit to the Gold Coast was as part of his role as jazz ambassador, with the expectation of bridging the gap between African Americans and Africans through music. At the time, Ghanaian music was widely celebrated with the Tempos Band in the lead. The then leader of the Tempos Band, E.T Mensah, was heavily influenced by Armstrong.

His visit has been described as a 2-day open-air concert with several bands and cultural artists performing for Armstrong while he entertained the audience with his All Stars band.

10 iconic black activists who visited Ghana in the 50s and 60s
Louis Armstrong and his All Star band playing in Ghana

Last Edited by:Victor Ativie Updated: March 30, 2020

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