Okay fm honours legendary guitarist Agya Koo Nimo

Celebrated song-writer, lecturer, philosopher and award-winning musician, Daniel Kwabena Amponsah, known professionally as Agya Koo Nimo yesterday 1st of June 2016 has been honored by Okay FM of Despite Groups of Company in Accra.

Koo Nimo is a Professional Guitarist who was the first President of MUSIGA (Musicians' Union of Ghana) and interim chairman of COSGA (Copyright Society of Ghana), a lecturer and a scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He holds a Doctorate in Letters.

Agya Koo Nimo has six albums in his credit Ashanti Ballads (1968), Osabarima (1990, re-issued 2000), Tete Wobi Ka (2000), and Highlife Roots Revival (2012, Riverboat Records) etc. and he was the first Ghanaian musician to have his song on compact disc (CD).

Talking with Abeiku Santana on Okay FM’s Drive Time Show “Ekwansodwoodwoo”, Agya Koo Nimo answered every question the presenter posed to him.

Abeiku Santana asked him why he always put on traditional wear, he answered “have been in suits before but I always love to be in the traditional wear because people outside the country really respect my way of dressing and sometimes the people have to beg me for a touch of my materials.”

“When I went to Trinidad, a white woman requested and begged to touch my native sandals “ahenema” and that alone granted me a launch I never paid for”, he said

Koo Nimo revealed some struggles along his celebrated life starting with the tragedy of losing his first wife and Six (6) children.

Agya Koo Nimo said the death of his first wife made him “non-existent”. “During weekends I would just drive to my wife’s graveyard and just commune with her, somebody reported me to my uncle who was a chief”, he recounted. Some of the children died stillborn, whilst others died through pneumonia and congenital heart troubles.

He then told the story of how he met his first wife and his current wife after Abeiku Santana posed to him the number of women he has been with. Koo Nimo, a trained Laboratory Technician, attributed his good health to healthy eating and lifestyle and advised the youth to do everything in moderation.

He said “I have a special prayer which I recite every morning, I walk a lot, I drink a lot of water and consume a lot of organic food”. "Your first wealth is your health, so take good care of yourself and bear no grudges", he recommended.

Koo Nimo was a pianist in Adisadel College before he moved into guitar. “It’s over 60yrs now I bought my Oscar Teller Guitar.” Koo Nimo revealed Abeiku Santana again asked him, who his favourite musician is, but he answer “not yet born” [laugh]

The 85-year-old veteran musician, advised up and coming musicians not to be in haste to release songs just for popularity sake but spend time on composing songs that are educative and project the Ghanaian culture.

He said many of today's musicians do not take their time to learn the ropes of the art of music composition before coming out with their songs. "My only prayer is for God to help me impart more knowledge to the young ones before I die" he said.

After the interview, Okay FM honored him. The studio was packed with renowned media men and bloggers.

#KooNimoOnOkayFm pic.twitter.com/m6FeSe5c69

— #GhanaCarnivalJuly (@AbeikuSantana) June 1, 2016

Koo Nimo and George playing classic jazz music on #EkwansoDwooDwoo. #Oksantana #KooNimoOnOkayfm @abeikusantana. pic.twitter.com/a8BlDThzn5

— OKAYFM (@Okay1017fm) June 1, 2016

Despite Group of Companies honours Legendary Guitarist KOO NIMO live [On Air] on #EkwansoDwooDwoo @abeikusantana. pic.twitter.com/Dnaav3Zny0

— OKAYFM (@Okay1017fm) June 1, 2016