Shabo still rocking the bass
His preference these days is the five-string fretted electric bass and whether music at stake is highlife, soul, R&B, reggae, blues or jazz, bassist Emmanuel Koomson, better known as Shabo, is always ready to thumb, pluck, tap and slap his strings with his own kind of swag.
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Shabo, a past winner of the Instrumentalist of the Year honour at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA), is leader of the King Shabo Band which has played at numerous functions across the country for over six years.
At the recent launch of the 3 FM radio station on the TV3 premises in Accra, Shabo fronted his King Shabo Band to thrill the many guests at the event.
“It is great to be a versatile player. I can handle all kinds of music and that inspires the other guys in the band to also open themselves up for new challenges,” King Shabo says.
Before starting his band, the big-boned bassist played with bands such as EX 93 Dance Band, Musical Box, Takoradi Air Force Band, We
Highly respected in music circles for the command he wields over his instrument, Shabo is part of a bunch of bass players in this country with a deep understanding of the bass player’s role in modern popular music.
“The bassist used to just stay in the background and keep time but the craft has gone beyond that. I hear several bass players around now doing very interesting things on their instruments,” states Shabo.
The bassists being referred to by Shabo include Philip Acquah, Dan Grahl, Emmanuel Ofori, Kwesi Arko and PK Ambrose. They are all diligent soloists who approach their work with a lot of creativity.
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The bassist seen by many as probably the world’s best at the moment is Richard Bona is from Cameroun. He has played in Ghana on a number of occasions and he believes the next great bassist to conquer the world could again come from Africa.
Perhaps, the wish in music circles here is to see that player come from among the several imaginative players in this country, Shabo included.