Nana Ampadu of Ghana formed his African Brothers Band in 1963 as one of the many guitar-based highlife groups that rose in Ghana in the '60s. The trademarks of the group are their adherence to performing only their own songs (as opposed to the common practice of simply covering other groups' compositions), as well as putting forth a political message within each of their songs. During the '70s, they became one of the more innovative bands on the scene, as they experimented with influences from other areas, including the rumba, reggae, and a form of music meant to incorporate all of the African forms, Afro-hili, which was also made as a competitor to Fela Kuti's Afrobeat. After some time, they have returned to a purer form of guitar highlife, though hundreds of albums (mostly in Ghana) can attest to their longevity and creativity. ~ Adam Greenberg