Ghanaian highlife musician
Koo Nimo
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![Portrait of Koo Nimo](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Agya_Koo_Nimo.jpg/220px-Agya_Koo_Nimo.jpg) Portrait of Koo Nimo
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Birth name
| Kwabena Boa-Amponsem
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Born
| Foase,
Ashanti Region
Ghana
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Origin
| Accra
, Ghana
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Genres
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Occupation(s)
| - Guitarist
- singer
- composer
- bandleader
- record producer
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Years active
| Late 1950s?present
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Musical artist
Yaw Amponsah and Koo Nimo
Koo Nimo
(born
Kwabena Boa-Amponsem
[1]
on 3 October 1934),
[2]
baptized
Daniel Amponsah
[1]
is a leading folk musician of
Palm wine music
or
Highlife
music from
Ghana
.
[3]
[4]
Biography
[
edit
]
Born in the village of Foase, in the
Atwima District
of the
Ashanti Region
in Ghana,
West Africa
, he worked in various jobs in science and medical-related fields while maintaining his interest in music. In 1957, when the former British colony of the Gold Coast became the independent country of Ghana, Koo Nimo first received national acclaim through the formation of the Addadam Agofomma ensemble. Many of his songs tell traditional stories and are sung in the
Twi
language. Along with one or two guitars and vocals, the traditional Ashanti palm wine ensemble consists of traditional instruments of West Africa, including the
apentemma
and the
donno
, the
frikyiwa
(metal castanet), the
prempensua
(rhumba box), the ntorwa (hollow gourd rattle with beads or seeds woven around it on a net), and the nnawuta (consisting of two iron bells that provide the key rhythmic pattern) or dawuro (banana-shaped bell).
In 1990, eight of Koo's songs were released as a compact disk entitled
Osabarima
. This was the first work by a Ghanaian artist to be put on CD.
[5]
In January 1992, at
Columbia University
,
New York
, USA, Andrew L. Kaye presented his dissertation entitled "Koo Nimo and his circle: A Ghanaian Musician in Ethnomusicological Perspective" and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree for his work.
In 1998, he was employed as a Professor of
Ethnomusicology
at the
University of Washington
in
Seattle
, USA, for two years, before taking a similar position at the
University of Michigan
in
Ann Arbor
.
[6]
In 2006, Koo Nimo moved back to Ghana, to the city of
Kumasi
. He appeared in a January 2007 episode of the American travel show
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
, where he is shown playing music, discussing his music, and enjoying a lunch of stewed
greater cane rat
with host
Anthony Bourdain
.
[7]
Awards, honours and memberships
[
edit
]
In 1979, in recognition of his services to Ghanaian music as performer, teacher and administrator, Koo Nimo was elected President of MUSIGA (the Musicians' Union of Ghana). His countrymen appreciated not only his music, but his love and respect for tradition. In 1985 Koo Nimo was appointed interim chairman of COSGA, the Copyright Society of Ghana. More recently he has been made an honorary life member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, along with such distinguished names as Professor
J. H. K. Nketia
and
John Collins
.
In February 1991, in recognition of his services to music and to his country, Koo received the prestigious Asanteman award from the
Asantehene
. In March, he received the Flagstar Award from ECRAG (Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana). In 1991, he was invited to serve on the National Folklore Board of Trustees.
In March 1997, the Ghana government celebrated the 40th anniversary of independence by awarding gold medals to forty of its distinguished citizens, one of whom was Koo Nimo. This was in recognition of his efforts to preserve traditional culture. In the next month he received the Konkoma Award for his contribution to Ghanaian Highlife Music.
Koo Nimo received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022
Vodafone Ghana Music Awards
in Accra for his contribution to the Ghanaian music industry.
[8]
Discography
[
edit
]
- Albums
- Ashanti Ballads
(1968)
- Osabarima
(1990, re-issued 2000)
- Tete Wobi Ka
(2000)
- Highlife Roots Revival
(2012, Riverboat Records)
- Contributing artist
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Koo Nimo
.
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