page_title: E. T. Mensah
section_title: The Tempos and later career
hierarchical_section_title: E. T. Mensah / The Tempos and later career
caption_attribution_description: English: An invitation to E. T. Mensah's performance with Louis Armstrong in May 1956
context_page_description: Emmanuel Tettey Mensah, best known as E. T. Mensah, was a Ghanaian musician who was regarded as the "King of Highlife" music. He led The Tempos, a band that toured widely in West Africa.
context_section_description: The original "Tempos" band was formed in 1946 as a "jam session" group by some European soldiers stationed in Accra. It played for army dances and at the Accra club. Over time, African musicians replaced the European ones, until finally it became an all-African band. Mensah joined the band in 1947. Shortly after this the band split up, to be reformed again with Mensah as its leader. The group gained international attention and in 1957 Mensah performed with Louis Armstrong.
  The highlife style of music started to decline in the 1960s, but E. T. Mensah remained active for years afterwards. He co-starred on a highly successful album with the Nigerian trumpeter Dr Victor Abimbola Olaiya.
caption: An invitation to a concert featuring Louis Armstrong "from America" and E. T. Mensah and his Tempos Band "of West African Fame"
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