TRIBUTE TO MAC TONTOH, ON BEHALF OF MILENA, MY CHILDREN AND I

DEAR BROTHERS, SISTERS, CHILDREN, NIECES AND NEPHEWS. SORRY I 'M NOT HERE IN PERSON TO SHARE THE SADNESS AND THE SORROW YOU'RE GOING THROUGH FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR BELOVED ONE, MAC TONTOH, BUT MY SPIRIT IS WITH YOU ALL.

MAC T WASN'T JUST A FRIEND, HE WAS LIKE MY OWN YOUNGER BROTHER, A GOOD AND ENERGETIC TRUMPET PLAYER
LIKE ME FROM THE SAME SUBURB FANTI NEWTOWN IN KUMASI. MAC AND I ADMIRED EACH OTHER AND WE WERE NEVER IN COMPETITION.

MAC TONTOH WAS SO GOOD AS AN UP AND COMING YOUNG TRUMPETER AFTER ME IN THE LATE 50s AND 60s IN KUMASI, THAT IT MADE ME PRACTICE EVEN HARDER TO REACH THE STANDARD THAT I HAVE ACHIEVED TODAY.

" THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR BROTHER TEDDY OSEI FOR INVITING ME TO SHARE THE STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME OUTSIDE GHANA WITH OSIBISA. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER MY EXPERIENCE WITH YOU AND YOUR ENERGETIC PERFORMANCES ON STAGE IN UK THE FIRST TIME I ACTUALLY PLAYED WITH YOU IN THE EARLY 70's. AND ALSO GREAT MEMORIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST TOUR WITH OSIBISA AND A SENSATIONAL JAM SESSION WITH THE BAND ON YOUR LAST AUSTRALIAN TOUR.

APART FROM THAT TOUR IN AUSTRALIA, THE GREATEST OF ALL WAS WHEN I CAME HOME ON A VISIT IN 1997 WHEN WE PERFORMED TOGETHER IN ACCRA. ALSO IN THE RECORDING STUDIO SESSIONS IN LONDON IN THE 70S, YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE BRASS SECTION WAS AMAZING ON THE "AWO AWO" ALBUM. YOU ARE A LEGEND AND YOUR ABSENCE WILL BE MISSED BY MANY OF OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND THE MUSIC WORLD.

''MY CONDOLENCES TO YOUR WHOLE FAMILY AND RELATIVES''

"MAY THE LORD GUIDE YOU TO REST IN PEACE."

'' NANTI YIE."
'
'' NYAMI NFAWONKOH''

FROM: EDDIE QUANSAH.

PS:  Eddie Quansah was a famous band leader (Globe Masters, Ghana) in the early 60s.  He now resides and performs in Australia.