Pat Thomas
Nana Kwabena Amo Mensah, better known by his stage name Pat Thomas, is a celebrated Ghanaian vocalist and songwriter known as "The Golden Voice of Africa". Born on August 14, 1946, he is a pioneering highlife artist known for his work with Ebo Taylor and for modernizing the genre with Afrobeat and soul influences. Active for over five decades, starting in the 1960s, he has a career that spans highlife, funk, and Afrobeat. He formed the Sweet Beans Band in 1974 and has recorded extensively, including contemporary work with Fela Kuti, and the Kwashibu Area Band. He is a pioneering figure in Ghanaian music, recognized for his soulful, high-pitched voice and for bringing highlife to international audiences. Born in the Ashanti Region, he grew up in a musical family, with his mother leading a band and his father working as a music teacher.