Gyedu-Blay Ambolley at Bryant Park - Free Event!

Friday, August 16 – Free Event Co-presented with Bryant Park

7 PM – 9 PM – Outdoors, general admission

Live Performance by Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – US Debut!

Bryant Park Picnic Performance Presented by Bank of America

For the first time in America, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and an eight-piece band will perform his 1975 debut album, Simigwa, in its entirety! Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is a musical luminary hailing from Ghana, West Africa, with a staggering 29 albums under his belt. Known affectionately as the “Simigwa Do Man,” Ambolley’s musical journey began in the vibrant port city of Sekondi-Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana. His early fascination with music blossomed into a lifelong passion. From mastering his father’s flute at the tender age of eight to honing his guitar skills under the mentorship of “Uncle Bonku,” Sammy Lartey, and Ebo Taylor, Ambolley’s musical odyssey has been nothing short of extraordinary. This all led to Ambolley becoming a musical life force and exploding on the scene in 1973 with a jazzy highlife sound called “Simigwa-Do.” His name has become synonymous with Simigwa music and dance. The groundbreaking album stands as a cornerstone of Ghanaian music history (and one of its most iconic album covers), as well as Ambolley’s magnum opus; a masterpiece fusing together the rich tapestry of highlife, afrobeat, folk, and funk.