Koo Nimo

Koo Nimo on guitar with his son Yaw Amponsah on rhumba box, 2000.
Image: Richard Grassy (Rgrassy), 15 July 2000 10:53:06; http://grassy.net/anthonys.html; Rgrassy. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source.

Summary

Koo Nimo, also known as Daniel Amponsah, is a Ghanaian guitarist, singer, composer and teacher associated with palm-wine music and highlife. Storytelling, ensemble playing and the transmission of musical knowledge are connected parts of his work.

Life and career

His recollections describe early church-organ instruction, later study of guitar and sustained connections with Ghanaian cultural institutions. They also acknowledge encounters with jazz musicians and classical guitar teachers. He identifies guitarist Kofi Twumasi as a performing partner over roughly thirty years, emphasizing the relationships behind a career often represented by one celebrated name.

Music and style

His palm-wine language brings acoustic guitar and percussion together with conversational singing and stories. Jazz and classical-guitar study formed part of his musical education, while the songs remain grounded in Ghanaian social and cultural experience. Highlife Roots Revival was recorded in a domestic setting and foregrounds the acoustic ensemble rather than a large electric dance band.

Works and performances

The official discography lists Osabarima, Highlife Roots Revival (2012) and Palm Wine Music in the 21st Century (2015). Titles such as 'Old Man Plants a Coconut Tree' and 'Integrity (The Cat and the Dog)' indicate the narrative and reflective dimension of the repertoire.

Selected recordings in MuGlobe:

• Egya Koo Nimo plays "aban kaba da me nsa" @ Ashesi — Palm-wine music.
• Koo Nimo in Chicago, 2012.MP4 — Palm-wine music.