ignite: Atongo Zimba

Atongo Zimba comes from the north of Ghana. His grandfather taught him to play and make the koliko (or molo), a two stringed lute, which is used throughout the savannahs and deserts of West Africa.

He learnt traditional songs and started to compose his own and to use the koliko for more complex melodies than the usual strumming. The instrument is used for many traditional events and to motivate farm workers, but Atongo was interested in using it for more general entertainment and decided to travel in order to explore the possibilities of music making as a career. He joined a very active and creative music scene in the 1980s and ‘90s, playing with Osibisa and the Pan African Orchestra amongst others. At the same time, he continued to develop his own solo style, picking up ideas from highlife, jazz and funk.