Nii Moi Acquaye (Speedy)

Speedy Acquaye, one of Ghana`s skillful master-drummers/percussionists who once played for Ginger Baker, Paul McCartney et al., and is famed for his fire eating performance on stage. Circa 1971. 

Nii Moi Acquaye aka Speedy Acquaye (7 June 1931 - 15 September 1993) is one of Ghana`s most talented and skillful master drummers/percussionists who pioneered in the selling of Ghana`s rhythmic drumming skills to the international audience.
 
From the humble beginning in Ghana, Speedy`s drumming talent did not only saw him play with the crème de la crème of the British bands, but he is also "one of a long line of African musicians whose presence in Britain since at least Elizabethan times has provided a cogent reminder of modern music's rich and diverse origins" (Wilma, 1993). 

Speedy played with great bands such as Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists, Georgie Fame Band, Herbie Goins & The Night Timers, Ginger Baker`s Airforce, John Martyn Band, Dade Krama and Adzido. He founded his own London-based band, Akido. He had opportunity to play with the redoubtable drummer, Phil Seamen. Korley (2016) ranks Acquaye among the legendary and brilliant percussionists like Kwaku ‘Rebop' Baah, and Kwasi ‘Rocky Dijon' Dzidzornu who lived in the United Kingdom and played with numerous world-class acts such as Georgie Fame, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Randy Weston, Jimmy Cliff, Stevie Wonder, Traffic and Eric Clapton. 

Nii Moi Acquaye was Ga man born on the 7th June 1931 at Jamestown, Accra in the then Gold Coast (Ghana). Acquaye stayed in the house until he was 12 years before starting his basic education. He was already an amateur drummer who practiced drumming on a small drum his parent had given to him as a gift. This confirms the famous master-drummer, Okyerema Asante`s assertion in Korley (2016) that "For us in this part of the world, percussion instruments are the toys we grow up with. You start banging on your mother's pots and pans even before you learn to walk."
 
Acquaye received offers from teenage bands to join them but he refused. His older cousin also gave him serious encouragement to start a musical career with one of the Accra bands but he refused to compromise his stance. Though Wilmer `s (1993) obituary piece on Acquaye did not show that he joined any local group, but records show that he played with the Dade Krama group, and would later re-enter it.

Young Acquaye joined the Ghana Armed Forces as a company boy. His stint with the Army was suddenly cut short when he got an opportunity to travel to England in 1947. It was in England that the struggle to put body and soul together made him to utilize his traditional African skills as a fire-eater, dancer, and actor before he started playing music as a pro. Thus, Pantomime group, Man Friday, a Nottingham-based production asked for his services for their show-business. This created a classic opportunity for Acquaye`s entry into the creative arts industry in London, and "the stimulation for the rest of his life." 

In the 1950s, the Pantomime group made Soho its favourite residence and teemed with some small African clubs, which opened a window of opportunity for Speedy Acquaye to meet fellow Africans and local modern jazz players who admired their music. In no time, Speedy was poached by Saxophonist Tubby Hayes to join his band as percussionist.
 
He had series of wonderful playing time with Tubby Hayes, but before the band could say "hey Jack", Speedy was on his way to Ronnie Scott`s group as their new drummer. He was also there for a short period before he joined Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists band, which blended British jazz with African sound.

In 1961, Speedy left Afro-Cubists to play drums for Jack Costanzo`s Costanzo plus Tubbs band. It was here that he played in the August 1961 recording of the group`s song "Equation in rhythm." As part of the black milieu around the Roaring Twenties club in Carnaby Street, he met the Lancashire-born organist Georgie Fame and became his guide to black society. He joined Georgie`s band, Georgie Fame & Blue Flames which was based at the Flamingo in 1962. It was the same year that the great guitarist, Joe Moretti also joined the group. Speedy had his first long stay with this band, which he played from 1962 to July 1966.
 
In his stay with the band, they recorded series of albums and one compilation. Some of the songs which Speedy Acquaye drumming skills can be heard are Do re mi/Green onions, I'm in love with you/Bend a little, and Fame at last, all singles released in1964. Another singles: In the meantime/Telegram, Like we used to do/It ain't right and Something/Outrage, was also released in 1965. The lineup was also augmented with great ones like Mick Eves and the band went on to release LPs, The Incredible Miss Brown and Sweet things and a single, Getaway/See saw in 1966. In fact, during Acquaye`s time in this band, Georgie Fame showcased him and started a new wave of appreciation for African musicians.

In July 1966, Speedy and Cliff Barton said goodbye to Georgie Fame &The Blue Flames Band. Cliff was immediately replaced by another great player, Ricky Brown. However, the absence of the two caused the band to fold up four months later. It was the end of an era! Speedy the journeyman found himself in mythical band outfit, Herbie Goins &The Night Timers Band, which he played for a year [1966-1967].
 
In his short stint with this band stationed in Wardour Street and fronted by superb singer Herbie Goins, they recorded hit album "Number 1 in your heart" in August 1967. With Herbie Goins & The Night Timers, Speedy toured with his fellow Blue Flames, the saxophonist Mick Eves and the Jamaican trumpeter Eddie'Tan-Tan' Thornton. According to Thornton, "Speedy and I like a loving brother. Him play power" (Wilmer, 1993).

From here, Speedy went on to play as session musician for a while before joining Ginger Baker`s Airforce megaband in September 1970. Airforce was formed after Blind Faith`s demise; it was originally conceived as a one-off association, but it went through almost two years, with changing lineups. In his stay in Airforce, Speedy met the famous and super talented Ghanaian master drummer Rocky Dzidzornu (Rocky Dijon), when they recorded Airforce`s album "Airforce 2" in October 1970. 

Speedy left Ginger Baker`s Airforce in February 1971 to form his own band, Akido, with Mark Arthurworrey (guitar), Andrea Arthurworrey and Louise Arthurworrey (vocals). They did a few College gigs and played upstairs at Ronnie Scotts.
 
Speedy re-enacted his fire-eating performance on stage. The group was effectively managed by Ronnie Lane who also produced their album, Akido, in 1972. Later, Speedy moved on to work with Adzido, one of the Europe's leading traditional African dance company founded in 1984 by George Dzikunu. After a while, Speedy left Europe for Ghana where he taught and worked with the group, Dade Krama. Thus, Wilmer (1993) posits that in working with Dade Krama Acquaye realized an early ambition to see traditional African music appeal to the young.

It must be noted that before other rock bands were employing Africans to flesh out the rhythmic picture, Speedy was one of the early African to do session gigs for bands and friends such as the Animals, Kenny Jones `Small Faces (album Small Faces released in 1967 and Ooh la la in 1983), Rod Stewart, Graham Bond, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and others. He also did sessions for The Pyramid led by John Paul Jones in their 1967 single "Summer of last year / Summer evening", Jerry Donahue led Poet And The One Man Band album "Poet And The One Man" in 1969, the Jim Avery led Third World War`s album "Third World War" released in 1971 as well as Rod Stewarts`s Never a dull moment (1972), Stewart`s compilation sessions "Reason to believe: the complete Mercury studio recording "(2002), Gold (2005), and The Rod Stewart sessions 1971-1998 (2009). He was the percussionist in the song "Five guys walk into a bar" by Faces (2004), "Back to the egg" by Wings (1979), and "Home from home (the missing album)" by Heads Hands & Feet (1995). 

The drumming maestro was taken ill on a visit to Ghana in 1990, but had to return to Britain to seek medical attention. It was discovered he had cancer. He died on 15 September 1993. His former bands leader, Georgie Fame, whom he rejoined for residency at Ronnie Scott's Club, helped pay for his body to be flown back to Accra for burial, following a wake in London held at the Africa Centre, in Covent Garden
Speedy paid his dues to the global creative arts industry, but he is less known in Ghana and even among some section of the British community where he contributed significantly towards the musical diversity. As Wilmer (1993) contends "For over 40 years his challenging remarks and gap-toothed grin were as familiar around Soho as many of the quarter's better-documented denizens. But in Britain's careless tradition of paying scant attention to the individuality of black people, he often experienced anonymous status. Those who knew him and his sturdy drumming knew better." 

Source:
Gildart, K. (2013). Images of England Through Popular Music: Class, Youth and Rock'n'roll, 1955-1976. Springer. 
Korley, N. L. (2016). Feel the GH rhythm power. http://www.graphic.com.gh/…/m…/feel-the-gh-rhythm-power.html
Stratton, J. (2001). Melting Pot: The Making of Black British Music in the 1950s and 1960s. https://www.academia.edu/…/Melting_Pot_The_Making_of_Black_…
Stratton, J., & Zuberi, N. (2016). Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945. Routledge.
Wilmer, V. (1993). Obituary: Speedy Acquaye. http://www.independent.co.uk/…/obituary-speedy-acquaye-1504…