For many senior citizens, the mention of Uhuru Dance Band brings back memories of the period immediately after independence to the mid-1970s when dance hall entertainment was prominent in Ghana.

This period saw the presence of many dance bands such as Ramblers, Black Beats, Comets, Stargazers, Noble Kings and others who provided good music for the enjoyment of the citizenry.

Most of these bands were popular but were mostly combos (comprising five or six players)and their instruments were limited. They provided good music all right but could not compare with the big sounds of the time: Globe Masters based in Kumasi and Broadway Dance Band in Takoradi.

The sound delivery of the latter two were more profound as the number of instruments they used in their performances were many and varied.

These two boasted of about five saxophones, five trumpets, three or four trombones, fiddlebass, rhythm guitar and a set of drums.

According to Stan Plange, a member of the Broadway Dance Band and a leader of Uhuru Dance Band at a later date, the big bands were obviously a better choice for music lovers.

Stan Plange told Showbiz that by 1958 the popularity of Globe Masters had waned. That gave Broadway, then led by Sammy Obot and including crack artistes like Joe Mensah, Stan Plange, Kpakpo Addo, Darko Patato Adams and Duke Duker, the chance to operate as the only big band.

Mr Agyepong, an entertainment impresario of the time who owned the Prempeh and Gyandu cinemas in Takoradi and Sekondi respectively and also the Zenith Night Club, was the band’s proprietor.

According to Plange, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President directed in 1960 that all members of Ghanaian music groups should undergo a six-month training in African music, at the Arts Council of Ghana. Broadway was the first to undertake the course.

“For the six months that we attended this course, Mr Agyepong refused to pay us because he said we did not play for his band. This set the stage for a showdown. We demanded to be made shareholders in the band to forestall the re-occurrence of a similar situation in the future but Mr Agyepong rejected the suggestion and this led to mass resignations from the band.

The late Krobo Edusei and late E K Dadson teamed up to buy instruments for the band which maintained the Broadway name till Mr Agyepong instituted a legal action against it.

Justice Akiwumi sat on the case and dismissed the reliefs sought against the band except the use of the name Broadway.

Nana Kobina Nketsia I, Essikadohene, gave the Uhuru (Swahili word for freedom) name which re-echoed the general sentiment on the continent at the time.

“After the suit, everything started to work in the new group’s favour. The training at the Arts Council helped improve the band’s overall delivery as African rhythms and percussion were added to the music.

“We played regularly at the Flagstaff House to entertain Osagyefo and his visitors. We also accompanied him on overseas trips. Almost all Ghanaian missions abroad invited us for exhibitions and other shows.”

Not too long after the formation of Uhuru, Sammy Obot left for Nigeria and Stan Plange became the leader. Other members then were Bob Yoko, George Amissah, Max Hammond, Loughty Lasisi Amao, Duke Duker, Tom Addo, Kpakpo Addo, Darko ‘Patato’ Adams, Mac Tontoh and lady vocalist, Charlotte Dada.

Even after the overthrow of the Nkrumah regime, the group was still riding high. Though they lost all official engagements, there were more private engagements than they could handle. They became the obvious choice to back Chubby Checker, the American King of Twist when he toured West Africa in 1970.

“We were with him wherever he performed and he was pleased with the backing we provided him. We undertook a trip to Britain in the same year where we performed at several big auditoriums.”

Stan Plange maintains that the demise of the once popular Uhuru from the music scene could be traced to the British trip because most of the bandsmen either did not come back or left the band shortly afterwards.