Nii, a Great, Great Grandson of a Great Ga King, -Nii Okai Koi I of Accra, Ghana was traditionally named after this Great King. Growing up in a typical African home and being the youngest, Nii was revered by his paternal uncles, two of whom were great musicians.
Kofi Ghanaba (aka Guy Warren) of Osibisa Fame. He introduced Nii to percussions at an early age. A second uncle, Osabutey, was also playing music with a Nigerian Musician and creator of Afro-Beat Fela Ransome Kuti, who was on a musical tour in Ghana. Nii’s musical horizon became brightened when through this uncle, he met with Fela, who instantly realized the musical potential in Nii and began giving him lessons on various instruments when he (Fela) is not busy.

Joining his maternal family later on in Kumasi, a cradle of Ghanaian Folk Music, Nii had the opportunity to observe the guitar classes of a Great Folk Musician Koo Nimo. Also, other important musicians influencing Nii’s love for traditional Highlife music include Nana Kwame Ampadu, K. Gyasi, AB Crentsil and the Wolomei Folk Musical Group.
At college, Nii worked with some professional groups through studio presentations, as well as playing live outside campus. Such groups included the C. K. Mann’s Carosel 7 at Takoradi.

On his own, Nii specializes in Highlife Music. Somewhere along his musical career, Nii has realized that the advent of Hip-life and other forms of Music in Ghana is leading to the traditional Highlife music losing its Counseling, Encouraging, Consoling, Pain-soothing, Love-expressing, and other didactic attributes of its lyrics. He therefore, decided to revive this old tradition, and where possible, translate his lyrics into languages that will bring understanding to his international listeners.

Nii has done a lot in Highlife Music. He has performed on the same international stages, and at the same festivals — from Africa through Europe and North America — just as some other well-known musicians of this age. In fact, Nii’s performances at Concerts and Festivals are a must see.
i. He was the most encored at the 2006 Festival Nuits D’Afrique in Montreal.
ii. It happened again at the Festival Du Monde in Chicoutimi, Quebec in 2008.
iii. American Magazine Africasounds.com described his show as electrifying the Night.
iv. He dazzled the audience again at the 2009 Nuits D’Afrique Festival.
v. He was awarded for Highlife Music in September 2011 in Toronto, Canada.
Anyone who has heard and witnessed his material and performance has encouraged him to have them recorded.

So far, Nii has already recorded ten albums. He has released Three “Highlife Time” in 2007, “Happy Mother’s Day” in 2009, and “Draw Closer To Me” in 2011. He is in the process of releasing a Fourth one, a Gospel Reggae-Highlife album namely, “The Lord Will Come”. With these, Nii hopes to bring Traditional Highlife Music back into the main stream, as well as maintain the patronage it has enjoyed everywhere.

www.niimusic.com – www.youtube.com/niihighlife – www.delamusicgroup.com