Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Titibitis – Guitar Boy Superstar

Victor Uwaifo, a Benin City guitarist who was also a sculptor, built his own beat, ekassa, from Edo traditions. Guitar Boy, his best-known song, has a rippling, almost watery guitar melody, linked in his telling to a mermaid encounter. It is the place to start for highlife where the guitar is clearly the star, played quick and bluesy over insistent percussion.