Mahama calls for ceremony to celebrate Agya Koo Nimo
President John Dramani Mahama has urged the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, to organise a ceremony to honour highlife legend Agya Koo Nimo.
The President made the call during the launch of the Blackstar Experience at Blackstar Square in Accra on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
While praising the Legon Palmwine Band's performance at the launch, Mahama paid tribute to Agya Koo Nimo, a pioneer of palmwine music.
Recognising Nimo's contributions to Ghana's rich musical heritage, Mahama emphasised the need to celebrate his legacy. The proposed ceremony would serve as a fitting tribute to the legendary musician's impact on the country's cultural landscape.
"We watched the palmwine music and I asked if the King of Palmwine music was still alive - Agya Koo Nimo, and I hear he is alive. This is a man we must honour before he passes. Because that was a genre of music that has become a part of our musical archive and our folklore. For people like this, we should not wait till they die and we go and cry at their funerals," he said.
"So wherever Agya Koo Nimo is, Dzifa, you and your team [should] organise some ceremony, let's honour him. I know he has been honoured in the past. Let's honour him again before God calls him," he said.
Agya Koo Nimo, a highlife legend, has been recognised with numerous awards for his contributions to Ghanaian music.
Some notable honours include the Order of the Volta Award (2007) from President John Agyekum Kufuor, Asanteman Award from the Asantehene, Konkoma Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards and Entertainment Achievement Awards.
The national launch of Blackstar Experience, which had President Mahama as the Guest of Honour, was graced by key players in the Tourism, Arts and creative industries.
The Black Star Experience serves as Ghana’s leading brand in Culture, Arts, Tourism and Creative engagement, bridging local and international audiences.
It embodies all the interactions linked to the renowned and legendary Ghanaian hospitality across various dimensions.
This encompasses the structured processes that enable both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians to explore, engage with, and appreciate the richness of the nation’s cultural assets, attractions, and pleasures.
Highlife musician, Rex Owusu Marfo, popularly known as Rex Omar, the Co-ordinator of Blackstar Experience, expressed the team’s deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to the successful launch of their flagship programme.
He specifically appreciated speakers, performers, partners, volunteers and attendees, both physical and virtual, for their dedication, hard work and belief in the initiative.
“As we bask in the success of the launch, we look forward to sustaining this momentum together. Let’s continue to champion the spirit of the Black Star,” he said.
The launch was marked with many activities, including the unveiling of the official logo of Blackstar Experience.
