Songbook of Ebo Taylor – Peter Somuah (AiF)

Peter Somuah plays tribute to Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat legend Ebo Taylor

Talk & Listening session + live performance + DJ & Dance jam

This event is co-created by North Sea Round Town, Hiphophuis, House of Knowledge, Kunstinstituut Melly, BIRD and OSHI.

In Songbook of Ebo Taylor, Peter Somuah offers a deeply personal tribute to the legendary Ghanaian composer, guitarist and producer Ebo Taylor. His music formed one of Somuah’s earliest musical references—long before he seriously picked up the trumpet.

“I grew up listening to Ebo Taylor on the radio without knowing who he really was. Later, I got to understand the music and the genius behind it. And even later, I got to play with him in Paris. That moment really meant something to me.” In this performance, Somuah reinterprets Taylor’s work in his own style—combining jazz, soul, Ghanaian rhythm and free improvisation.

Talk and Listening Session + bites
The concert is introduced by an in-depth talk and listening session. Somuah invites the audience to explore Ebo Taylor’s musical legacy as well as the broader context in which his music emerged: colonial history, identity, spirituality, and storytelling through sound.
The listening selection includes music that inspired Somuah in his own development as an artist.
“Highlife is more than just a genre to me — it’s how we celebrate, how we protest, how we live.”
The conversation also deepens themes from Somuah’s main project for North Sea Round Town: Unstable Grounds, premiering on 3 July at the Wester Theater. This project brings together themes of migration, identity, and belonging.

Live performance & After DJ + dance jam: free ticket registration needed
After the talk & listening session, we’ll move to Hiphophuis for a live performance ‘Songbook of Ebo Taylor’. Somuah invites the new generation of musicians cultivating a new sound influenced by the diverse and rich musical upbringing and the legends of highlife, afrobeat, soul, and jazz. In this performance they will breathe new life into Ebo Taylor’s work, paying tribute to his legacy. The event closes with a dance jam and DJ set inviting dancers to join in, promising high energy, music, and dance improvisation.

---

Get your tickets* now to join this event. Limited tickets available!

*There are two ticket types available for this event: FULL ACCESS (access to all events, €7.50 incl. servicecost, and a free ticket to register for Live performance & After DJ + dance jam ONLY)

---

Times: 

• Opening doors: 14:00 hr.
• Talk & listening session: 14:30 – 15:30 hr
• Break: 15:30 – 16:00 hr. – with drinks & bites
• Live performance ‘Songbook of Ebo Taylor’: 16:00 – 17:00 hr.
• MO.ĠYAH (DJ set) & dance jam: 17:00 – 18:00 hr.

---

About the artists:

Peter Somuah

Deze zomer staat trompettist en componist Peter Somuah centraal als de Artist in Focus 2025 bij North Sea Round Town. Tijdens het festival presenteert hij een reeks exclusieve premières, nieuwe composities en unieke samenwerkingen, speciaal ontwikkeld voor deze editie. Verspreid over meerdere concerten op bijzondere locaties in Rotterdam, verkent Somuah de volledige reikwijdte van zijn kunstenaarschap. Hij verweeft jazz, highlife en vrije improvisatie met nieuwe muzikale invloeden en verhalen.

Lees hier verder over Peter Somuah en het NSRT Artist in Focus traject.

Bnnyhunna
As a Ghanaian kid growing up in Amsterdam, Benjamin ‘Bnnyhunna’ Ankomah found his voice through music—learning piano, guitar, and drums in church. He went on to produce for artists like Gaidaa and Rimon, tour with José James and Arp Frique, and craft his own genre-blending sound rooted in jazz, Afro, hip-hop, and R&B. In 2021 Bnnyhunna released his debut EP and several singles prior to his debut Album. His debut album Echoes of Prayer (released 2024) reflects influences from Fela Kuti to Kendrick Lamar, alongside his experiments in photography, film, and poetry. The album was awarded with the Edison Pop Award in 2025.

Aaron Bouwman
Aaron Bouwman is a 27-year-old bassist and music producer driven by groove and feel. Blending deep pocket playing with rich sonic textures, he crafts music that moves both body and soul.

Junya
Junya – a proud Ghanaian – born Junior Emmanuel Koney is a true multi-hyphenate. A creative soul, child of God, model and artist but most of all a devoted drummer. As an independent musician, Junya has worked with international artists like Rimon, Fullcrate, Akwasi, Yung Nnelg, BnnyHunna, Arp Frique and many more.Junya released his 1st single ‘Rosa & Zion’ on the 28th of February this year.

Lezaam Beets
Trombonist Lezaam Beets has been living and freelancing in Amsterdam Netherlands since 2021 when he moved there to study at the Conservatory van Amsterdam. Since then he has performed and recorded in numerous big bands, jazz combos, funk/rock bands, pop bands, film scores. Some of Lezaam’s recent accomplishments include recording a album with the Standard Bank National Youth Band named SHURI A SONGNOOK THROUGH THE YEARS and being selected for the Jong Metropole in 2022.

MO.ĠYAH (DJ)
MO.ĠYAH (Twi for BLOOD) is the brainchild of Rotterdam-based DJ, creative producer and some-time researcher, Jack D. Mensah, who has been building waves and bridges across countries, continents and communities for over a decade. As MO.ĠYAH, he channels the ancestral rhythms and sounds of the Global South and its Diasporas, celebrating tradition while pushing sonic boundaries.

Andrew Makkinga (moderator)
Andrew Makkinga (Kampala, 1982) is the host of an extensive podcast series Makkinga Meets (interviews with musicians from all over the world) for Dutch public broadcast organization NTR. Until recently he also hosted Andrew (DJ show mostly playing Soul & Jazz). On television he has hosted ‘Uitmarkt’ and made numerous reports at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Andrew is a frequent guest in various talk shows on a variety of topics, mostly connected to black arts or civil rights movement. Andrew is often asked to moderate debates, host talk shows or be chairman of congresses, which he does evenly charming and eloquently in either Dutch or English. 

---

Get your tickets now to join this event. Limited tickets available!

---

PARTNERS

Kunstinstituut Melly:
Kunstinstituut Melly was conceived as an art-house with a mission to present and discuss the ideas and work created today by visual artists and cultural makers. To fulfill the core mission of presenting contemporary art and theory, we organize exhibitions, commission art, publish and develop educational and collaborative initiatives. In doing so, we apply a practice of collective learning. This means we spatialize and socialize different forms of knowledge. Public engagement is intrinsic to our creative processes and artistic outcomes.

Read more about: https://www.kunstinstituutmelly.nl/en/

Hiphophuis:
Hiphophuis has been a key space for young creatives and artists, supporting community and development through hip hop for over 20 years. We believe in the transformative power of hip hop as both a unifying force and a catalyst for innovation, social engagement, and change. Our programs focus on developing skills, increasing awareness, and encouraging collaboration. Through mentorship and partnerships, we empower individuals to take on roles as dancers, organizers, artists, and leaders, contributing to the continuous evolution of hip hop culture.

Read more about: https://hiphophuis.nl/en/

House of Knowledge:
House of Knowledge is elevating the cultural scene through long-term educational programs rooted in lived experience, empowerment, community building, mental health, and Black culture. As a grassroots organization, House of Knowledge is committed to strengthening the position of young artists in the performing arts. Their mission is to empower the next generation of performers by providing meaningful support and visibility. At the core of their work is the development of tailor-made, long-term trajectories for exceptionally gifted musician.

BIRD
BIRD is the stage for black live music in Rotterdam and the Netherlands, where groove-based genres, in particular jazz, hip-hop and blacktronika form our foundation. BIRD offers a stage to talented makers, stimulating artistic experiments and looking for depth. Street culture meets the conservatory at BIRD. We cherish our roots, and closely follow developments in the live music scene, the club landscape and niche cultures. We offer Rotterdammers interested in black music styles a good home base in their own city, and we do so by presenting concerts and club nights, an annual festival presenting leading national and international artists, DJs, and by presenting emerging talent. Read more about: https://bird-rotterdam.nl/

OSHI
OSHI is a talent development platform that creates fertile ground for driven musicians and aspiring creative professionals through collaboration and connection. Our vision is becoming a leading entity within the music industry for R&B, soul, jazz, Hip-Hop and related genres within the Netherlands. OSHI is established in collaboration with a strong network of partners consisting of: House of Knowledge, Orisun Studio, PAARD, Super Sonic Jazz, Paradiso, BIRD, Patronaat and INI Movement. Read more about: oshimusic.com 

 

---

Get your tickets now to join this event. Limited tickets available!

---