VIDEO: My life in music... by Kristian Bediiako
After attending school in Truro, Kristian went back to his west African home.
"I was asked by my father to return to Ghana before embarking on a medical career," he said.
"Being back home was the greatest culture shock possible.
I discovered my father had six wives and unknowingly ended up chatting up one of them, believing her to be just a beautiful girl visiting my father's house.
"But the biggest question I asked myself was how could a country blessed with so much natural resources as gold, diamond, cocoa and timber, have so much poverty around?"
It was from that point Kristian decided his future was not in medicine, but to portray Africa in a different light to the world.
"I decided to use music to achieve this aim, to combine Ghanaian traditional rhythms with unusual rock and blues guitar techniques, and to teach Ghanaian traditional rhythms to the United Kingdom where I was educated."
*Click the green play button to see Kristian showing you how to play the drums.
Back to England
He came back to England and eventually saved up enough money to buy 11,000 of musical instruments before returning to Ghana to set up the first African rock fusion band in the world.
"I hired a house, selected three other musicians, found a manager and sound man and set out to put together A Band Named Bediiako."
The group rehearsed solidly for six months, sometimes for 14 hours a day. After a few hurdles getting bookings, it played at a school fete for free and its popularity soared.
"We became one of the most popular bands in Ghana but, alas, I had to fold up the band as the more money we made, the greater the rift became in the band among the three other members."
Kristian has endless stories to tell of his time back in Ghana, from writing and recording music for a film called Nana Akoto which was a success in Africa and Europe, to the numerous bands he has started, to being asked to become a minister of state in Ghana but declining the offer.
"After that I returned to England to try to interest British record companies in my music. Many industry names, including Heavy Metal Records, Island Records and Demon Records would not believe the band was truly an African band and were intrigued."
Kristian was astonished to take a phone call from Pink Floyd Productions, which was interested in signing his band for a seven-figure sum.
Amazed
"To my amazement the drummer and bass player said they would not have anything to do with the recording because it was going to involve far too much work.
"I was lost for words," he said.
Having composed more than 250 songs and 15 albums, Kristian says despite the ups and downs he has faced, his aim in life is still to be the greatest guitarist to come out of Africa.
"I have released my first CD, titled Bediiako – An African. I combine knowledge of my African rhythms with rock guitar playing."
All the songs on the CD, except one, are composed by Kristian and combine Ghana's well-known traditional rhythms with rock guitar.
"I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to be passionate about music every day. It's important."
Despite his 60 years, Kristian says he feels only 30 inside. He says his 'I love life' outlook is something we should all aspire to every day.
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Weather for Chichester
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -4 C to 4 C
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