Guy Warren of Ghana

Guy Warren of Ghana, later known as Kofi Ghanaba (1923–2008), was a pioneering Ghanaian musician and cultural thinker best known as the inventor of Afro-jazz — a fusion that reunited African-American jazz with its African roots. Celebrated as “The Divine Drummer,” Ghanaba transformed global jazz by introducing authentic African rhythms and instruments into mainstream music, influencing artists such as Fela Kuti, Randy Weston, and Osibisa.

Born in Accra, Ghanaba began his career as a drummer, broadcaster, and journalist before working internationally with legends including Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, and Louis Armstrong. His landmark album Africa Speaks, America Answers (1956) established him as a trailblazer of cross-cultural sound. Deeply Pan-African in spirit, Ghanaba used music as a political, spiritual, and cultural tool, performing in solidarity with liberation movements, including South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle. Until his death, he remained devoted to preserving African heritage, believing that Africa’s voice must be present in world culture.