Mahama calls for national ceremony to honour Agya Koo Nimo

President John Dramani Mahama has asked the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, to organize a ceremony in honour of Agya Koo Nimo, the legendary highlife musician.

He made this request at the launch of the Black Star Experience on May 1, 2025, at Black Star Square in Accra. During the event, he praised the Legon Palmwine Band for their performance and reflected on the influence of Agya Koo Nimo in shaping palmwine music.

“I asked if the King of Palmwine music was still alive, and I hear he is. We must honour him while he lives. Let’s not wait until he passes before we show our appreciation,” Mahama said.

He urged the ministry to organize a celebration, adding, “Even if he has been honoured before, let’s do it again before God calls him.”

Agya Koo Nimo, born Daniel Kwabena Boa Amponsah in 1934, has received many awards. These include the Order of the Volta in 2007, the Asanteman Award, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from top music events.

He helped develop palmwine music, a genre shaped by the working class who gathered at bars to drink and enjoy live music. His group, Addadam Agofomma, continues to preserve this traditional style, using instruments like the apentemma, dondo, frikyiwa, and prempensua.

Agya Koo Nimo also served as President of the Musicians’ Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) in 1979. He later led the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA) as interim chairman.

He taught ethnomusicology in the U.S., first at the University of Washington and later at the University of Michigan. In 1990, he released Osabarima, the first CD album by a Ghanaian artist.

Now based in Kumasi, Agya Koo Nimo remains a leading figure in Ghanaian music. He is known for blending storytelling with guitar, vocals, and spoken word, and for championing tradition through music.