| Kwame Asare | |
| Birth Name: | Jacob Sam |
| Birth Date: | 1903 |
| Death Date: | 1950 |
| Birth Place: | Cape Coast, Ghana |
| Origin: | Accra, Ghana |
| Years Active: | Late 1920s–1950s |
Kwame Asare, best known as Jacob Sam (1903 on the Cape Coast – 1950s), was the first to record Ghanaian highlife music and was the first highlife guitarist.[1] [2]
He was a trained goldsmith. He moved to Kumasi and formed the Kumasi Trio. He was taught guitar by a Liberian seaman. He is known to be the first Ghanaian to record highlife music in Ghana known as "Yaa Amponsah". In 1928, on Zonophone in London's Kingsway Hall EZ series, he recorded guitar-band highlife classic music with his melodic and finger-style guitar picking. He was accompanied by the Kumasi Trio, featuring guitarist H.E. Binney and percussionist Kwah Kanta.[3]
Under the name "Kwanin" he recorded his voice over on the JZ series. His recordings in 1928 were in Fante languages.Under the name "Kwanin" he recorded his voice over on the JZ series. His recordings in 1928 were in Fante languages.[4]
Asare died in the 1950s.[5]