A native of Foase, in the Atwima District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana, Agya Koo Nimo was named Kwabena Boa-Amponsem at birth. Having been delivered into the world on the 3^rd day of October, 1934.

His father was a trumpeter and his mother was a singer in the local Methodist church where he was christened, ‘Daniel’. His official name is Daniel Amponsah (Ph.D). He lived at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi due to his sister’s marriage to a brother of Otumfoͻ Opoku Ware II.

He attended Adisadel College at Cape Coast from 1947-1952, inspired by his relationship with Otumfoͻ Opoku Ware II, who was an old student. He took a technician’s course at the Medical Research Institute, Korle Bu, for one year and worked at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for five years from 1955 to 1960 as a technician.

Despite not working directly in the music related industry, his interest in music was intact. When he began performing, he took the professional name Koo Nimo. ‘Koo’ (Kofi) represents a Friday born male in the Akan ethnic group and ‘Nimo’ means someone who takes blame for others’ wrongdoings. Overtime, Ghanaians added ‘Agya’ as a sign of respect for his fatherly appeal.

The Addadam Agofomma ensemble is one of the traditional musical groups that upholds palm wine music and the original Ghanaian highlife music. The ensemble was formed by Agya Koo Nimo. Some of the major instruments for palm wine music include, apentemma, the dondo, the frikyiwa (metallic castanet), the prempensua (rhumba box), nnawuta (consisting of two iron bells that provide the key rhythmic pattern) and the ntͻwa (hollow gourd rattle with beads or seeds woven around it on a net) or dawuro (banana-shaped bell). He fuses storytelling with guitar and vocals, including spoken word poetry in his compositions.

In 1979, in recognition of his services to Ghanaian music as performer, teacher and administrator, Agya Koo Nimo was elected President of the Musicians’ Union of Ghana (MUSIGA). In 1985, he was appointed interim chairman of the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA). He is an honorary life member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, along with such distinguished names as Professor J. H. K. Nketia of blessed memory and Professor John Collins.

His eight-track album, titled ‘Osabarima’ was released as a compact disc (CD) in 1990, making it the first work by a Ghanaian artist to be put on CD. In recognition of his dedication to music and his country, Agya Koo Nimo received the prestigious Asanteman award from the Asantehene in February, 1991. In the following month of the same year, he received the Flagstar Award from ECRAG (Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana). The year 1991 ended with an honourable invitation to serve on the National Folklore Board of Trustees.

Dr. Andrew L. Kaye, an ethnomusicologist who has published on topics in African music, the history of stringed instruments, and film music presented his dissertation entitled "Koo Nimo and his circle: A Ghanaian Musician in Ethnomusicological Perspective" and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree for his work at Columbia University, New York in January, 1992. In 1998, the University of Washington in Seattle, U.S.A employed Agya Koo Nimo as a Professor of Ethnomusicology for two years. From there he joined the University of Michigan.

In March 1997, the government of Ghana celebrated the fortieth (40th) Anniversary of independence by awarding gold medals to forty of its distinguished citizens, one of whom was Agya Koo Nimo in recognition of his efforts to preserve traditional culture. In April, 1997 he received the Konkoma Award for his contribution to Ghanaian Highlife Music.

He was recognized and awarded at the maiden Entertainment Achievement Awards. He was awarded for his worthy contribution to the Ghanaian music industry, for over decades of great contribution to the Ghana music. In 2017, he was honoured with a Life Time Achievement Award the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) through their Music Department.

Some of his popular compositions include, ‘Ͻdͻnson’ (Let love prevail), ‘Akuafo Monno Mfuo’ (Farmers cultivate the land), ‘Abrokyire Abrabo’ (Life overseas), ‘Mewu Na Agoro Agu’ (My death would spell the doom for my group), ‘Ohia Ne Yareɛ Yɛ Ya’ (How painful it is to be poor and sickly) and ‘Adampa/Wo Wu a Na Wadane Saman’ (The dead becomes a ghost). He returned to Ghana in 2006 after his international exploits, and resides in Kumasi till date.

Agya Koo Nimo received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the 2022 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards in Accra for his contribution to the Ghanaian music industry. He is a leading folk musician of palm wine music or highlife music from Ghana who is internationally revered and appreciated not only for his music, but his love and respect for tradition and indigenous culture.