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The story of Ghetto Blaster begins in 1983, in Lagos, Nigeria. GHETTO BLASTER starts out by being the title of a musical documentary , which tells the story of a journey from Paris to Lagos made by Pascal Imbert, the band's first producer, and the two musicians Stéphane Blaess (guitar) and Romain (voice). Upon their arrival, the musicians of FELA & EGYPT 80's, Fela's previous group: Kiala Nzavotunga (guitar and voice), Ringo Avom (drums) and Udoh Essiet (percussions) join up with the French musicians, followed by Betty Ayaba (vocals), Frankie Ntoh Song (keyboards) and Willy N'For (bass and vocals). The co-creator with Fela of Afrobeat, drummer Tony Allen, contributes to getting GHETTO BLASTER on the road by giving guidance throughout the rehearsals.

They arrive in Paris in June 1983, and install themselves on a house boat anchored next to the Austerlitz train station, which they use as their living quarters as well as their rehearsal studio. The movie relating their adventures is broadcast for the first time in 1984 on national tv station Antenne 2. That same year, GHETTO BLASTER release the EP PREACHER MAN on Island Records. It is a big success right from the start.

1984 sees the release of the album PEOPLE on French label Mélodie, which was re-released by the company Follow Me in 2002. This release brings their music to a wider audience. GHETTO BLASTER embark on a tour of the USA and play first parts for such great musicians as Manu Dibango, Archie Shepp, Fela Kuti, Kool & the Gang, James Brown and Maceo Parker. At the end of the 80ies, the death of their singer Betty Ayaba, followed by that of their bass player Willy N'For in 1997, causes the group to disband for a while.

After a long silence, GHETTO BLASTER are back lead by Kiala, Frankie and the singer Myriam Betty. In 2003, Ghetto Blaster celebrated their 20th anniversary (1983-2003) by releasing their most recent album, RIVER NIGER. Since then, they have been playing many exciting dates in the great Paris clubs and in French and European festivals.