Kofi Ghanaba (or Guy Warren as he was previously known) was born in 1923, and educated at Achimota College.
In the 1940s he was a journalist, and in 1947, joined the Tempos band with E.T Mensah. Since he had been a member of Kenny Graham’s Afro-Cubists in the UK he introduced many new ideas to the band including use of Afro-Cuban percussion instruments.
After Ghanaba left the Tempos he stayed in Liberia for three years and then went to the US where he worked with such African American jazz musicians as Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Max Roach and Billy Stray/writ. It was in Chicago that he changed musical direction ‘Iwould
be the African musician who re-introduced African music to America to get Americans to be aware of this cultural heritage of the black people. When I was young, it was jazz that dominated me. I was naive and thought that that was the thing. But it is the African music that is the mother, not the other way around. I had to find this out the hard way’ . From late 1950s, Ghanaba released a number of important Afro-Jazz LPs such as ‘Africa Speaks, America Answers’, ‘Theme for African Drums’, ‘Soundz of Africa’, and ‘The Third Phase’.
Ghanaba returned home in the 1960s. In 1981 he presented a drum version of Handel’s ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ in the UK when he was given the title Odomankoman Kyerema or Divine Drummer. Ghanaba is known for being a spiritual man and practices Buddhism. He now lives Medie, fifteen miles north of Accra at his African Heritage Library and considers himself , … anonymous. My music is from the masses and I don’t want it to have a commercial appeal. I have been a jazz musician but now I am a folk musician. In other words, I have come home.’
A student of Koffie Ghanaba performs with drums from Winnipeg Manitoba. He performed through the Manitoba Arts Council’s “Artist in the Schools” at Meadows School a year or two. The Principal of Meadows can be reached by following this: Brandon School Division
http://www.bsd.ca/OurSchools
Brandon, MB R7A 2B9 T: 204-729-3265 F: 204-729-0345 greenacres@bsd.ca. Meadows School Kindergarten to Grade 8 Principal: Mr. Dave Lim 1220 – 22nd Street Brandon, MB R7B 1T4 T: 204-729-3988 F: 204-729-3970 meadows@bsd.ca. Mr. Lim purchased a whole series of drums and the Children of this School loved him in his residency there. He should be recognized by the Ghanian People as a Musical Missionary to Canada. I will make myself available to you. .. and I’m sure Principal Lim will respond to any inquiries you make in regards to the work and dedication of our version Koffie Ghanaba. Cheers! from Canada.