Marijata - This Is Marijata

Marijata was a group of three members, Addison 'Electric' Kofi on guitar, Bob Fischian on the organ and Nat Osmanu also on guitar. They were formed in the heart of the band the Sweet Beans with the young singer, guitarist Pat Thomas. Marijata were, according to their notes pockets, "attempting to bring some freshness and the return of Raw Funk" in their recordings. Their first LP: "This is Marijata", on the Gapophone label, is pure Funk Rawest Africa. Gapophone Records was a label founded by a young producer, Mr. George Appiah Prah, after his return from London where he lived for a period. Marijata has to his credit only two LPs on Gapophone but so essentialfor any collector of vinyl Afro Funk.

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Pat Thomas was born in Agona, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. His father who was a music teacher and a mother who was a band leader. Pat has always been in love with music from an early age, and he learned a lot of band organization and music writing from his uncle Onyina who played with Nat King Cole, Miriam Makeba, Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. It was during his stay with his uncle that he learned how to play the guitar and drums.

In the early 70’s he went to Accra to join a band known as The Blue Monks under the leadership of Ebo Taylor. This was the resident band of Tip Toe Nite Club. It was during one of his shows that one Caucasian lady who was in attendance fell in love with his voice and signed him up to go to Côte d’Ivoire to form a group called The Satellites. He later came back to Ghana to form The Sweat Beans Band, which became the band of choice during the Kutu Acheampong Era.

In July of 1976, Pat Thomas was recognized by the Arts Council of Ghana as “Nana Amu Mensah I” for his contribution to music. Also that year, as well as the following year, he was awarded the Vocalist of the Year by the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana. In 1991 he also won the Album of the Year with his “Sika Ye Mogya” song.

After moving to Germany, and then on to London, Pat eventually settled in Toronto, Canada. But after 15 years, he decided to go back to Ghana, where he still records and performs.

The core members of Pat Thomas’s backing band Marijata were Kofi “Electrik” Addison on drums, Bob Fischian on keyboards and Nate Osmanu on guitar, all of which had been in The Sweat Beans Band. Marijata, as well as Ebo Taylor, were featured on both of Soundway Records’ first and second volumes of the Ghana Soundz compilations.

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Tracklist

1. I Walk Alone
2. We Live In Peace
3. No Condition Is Permanent
4. Break Through