Koo Nimo: Highlife Roots Revival (Riverboat)

 |   |  <1 min read

Koo Nimo: See Wo Nom Me
Koo Nimo: Highlife Roots Revival (Riverboat)

An educated man who studied science in London in the Sixties and spent two years as a professor of ethnomusicology in Seattle in the late Nineties, 78-year old Koo Nimo from Ghana also immersed himself in the Western classical tradition and is a fan of Thelonious Monk's complex jazz compositions and flamenco, the latter two evident in his deft guitar work.

He is however part of the continuum from the palm wine days of the Forties and Fifties and these narrative songs have an engrossing quality -- although most listeners will not being able to understand a word of his Twi language, of course. (Like, you did with Buena Vista?)

Recorded in the yard of this septuagenerian's home in Ghana (hence the occasional background noise of animals and kids), these emotionally direct songs – where his voice and guitar remain central despite percussion and vocal assistance – may speak across the generations for their elemental nature, but Nimo is no untutored talent.

Despite first impressions of simplicity, there is a sophistication to the rhythms, interweave of acoustic guitar, Nimo's conversational singing style, the tick-tock percussion and the background vocals.

Rootsy, but also a genuine tapestry of sound which is easy and affecting – and further evidence that age shall not weary some.

Like the sound of this? Then check out this.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   World Music from Elsewhere articles index

Pacific Curls: Pacifi Celta (Pacific Curls)

Pacific Curls: Pacifi Celta (Pacific Curls)

The trio at the core of Pacific Curls made two "interesting" albums, but "interesting" is a word which suspends judgment. They didn't win me much, but most of this one certainly... > Read more

Alex Malheiros and Banda Utopia: The Wave (Far Out/Southbound)

Alex Malheiros and Banda Utopia: The Wave (Far Out/Southbound)

The exciting reissue/remake of Sabrina Malheiros' album New Morning recently should set many listeners up for this one by her father Alex and his jazzy band, and which features Sabrina on five... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

BRIAN ENO AND THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE: Obscure but not oblique

BRIAN ENO AND THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE: Obscure but not oblique

By happy chance recently I pulled out a vinyl album which has changed my listening habits for these past weeks. It was released 30 years ago but has always struck me as timeless: it is Brian... > Read more

Al Stewart: Clarence Frogman Henry, Audrey Hepburn and The Year of the Cat (1980)

Al Stewart: Clarence Frogman Henry, Audrey Hepburn and The Year of the Cat (1980)

He may be a bit of a bore in interviews (see here), but Al Stewart did tell a great shaggy-dog story in concert -- and of course wrote Year of the Cat among many other fine songs. So here you... > Read more