Gyedu Blay Ambolley Makes Stop in Miami for a Show at ZeyZey

The musician's debut solo album, released 50 years ago, is considered a cornerstone of Ghanaian music history.

July 31, 2025

Image: Picture of a black man holding a saxophone.

Ghanaian composer Gyedu Blay Ambolley will perform at ZeyZey this weekend. Photo courtesy of the artist.

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Gyedu Blay Ambolley, a Ghanaian composer, saxophonist, and singer specializing in highlife rhythms, will perform at ZeyZey Miami this Sunday, August 3, as part of the ZeyZey Selects series, which are free shows for the community.

Ambolley has been touring extensively as part of the acclaimed "Jazz Is Dead" concert series, created in 2017 through a collaboration between Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Andrew Lojero, and Adam Block. "Jazz Is Dead" is a global movement that searches for rare records and the artists behind them, honoring musical legends through live concerts and new recordings. The Jazz Is Dead tour featuring Ambolley was first announced on April 4, 2024, and has continued with additional dates, with more tour dates to be announced.

The tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut solo album, Simigwa. For the first time in the US, Ambolley will perform the album in its entirety, bringing his eight-piece band from Ghana. Released in 1975, the album Simigwa holds significance as a cornerstone of Ghanaian music history, combining elements of Afrobeats, funk, folk, and highlife — a West African genre blending traditional rhythms with jazz influences.

The album was written and produced in collaboration with another Ghanaian legend, Ebo Taylor, a guitarist and producer who has shaped African music for over 50 years and has also helped pioneer the highlife genre.

According to the musician, the phrase "Simigwa Do" refers to someone rising from a throne to dance with dignified pride and joy, rejecting any crude misinterpretations of the term. Ambolley popularized the term as his signature sound, despite critics.

Ambolley holds 29 albums under his belt, with his latest album, Wake Up Afrika, released on May 30, 2025. Throughout the album and its title, Ambolley expresses a rallying cry that urges both Africans and diaspora communities to recognize their shared struggles and collective power.

He has consistently wielded his music as a weapon against injustice, with his songs tackling everything from systemic inequality and political corruption to the specific challenges confronting Black communities worldwide. Through tracks examining social issues, economic exploitation, and the need for collective awakening, he positions himself as an entertainer and a cultural activist.

Gyedu Blay Ambolley. 6 p.m. Sunday, August 3, at ZeyZey, 353 NE 61st St., Miami; zeyzeymiami.com. Tickets are free via shotgun.live

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