“What you study at university isn’t really the point” - Panji Anoff

Veteran music producer, cultural advocate and creative pioneer Panji Anoff has shared rare insights into his life, values and creative journey, touching on everything from Ghanaian identity and traditional fashion to parenting, music and the evolution of hiplife.

Speaking during the Big Convo, Panji reaffirmed his long-standing commitment to promoting Ghanaian culture, particularly through his consistent use of fugu (batakari). The producer revealed that he owns between 40 and 50 fugu tops, many of which he gives away freely.

“For me, wearing fugu is both practical and purposeful,” he said. “The cloth is woven in Ghana, sewn in Ghana and supports Ghanaian artisans. When I buy one, I know I’m putting money directly into a Ghanaian pocket.”

Panji described indigenous Ghanaian clothing as timeless, recounting how a batakari his father purchased in 1963 remains wearable decades later. He likened the durability of fugu and kente to heirlooms that can be passed down through generations, stressing that Ghana’s traditional garments rival any global fashion standard in longevity and craftsmanship.

Reflecting on his upbringing, Panji credited his late father, a paediatrician whose name now adorns a hospital ward, for instilling values of calm discipline, curiosity and freedom of choice. Despite his father’s success in medicine, none of his children were pressured to follow the same path.

“My father believed his generation needed to save lives first,” Panji explained. “So that the next generation could afford to be artistes, philosophers and thinkers.”

That philosophy, he said, shaped his views on parenting. Panji openly rejected corporal punishment, arguing that conversation and emotional accountability are more effective than physical discipline.

“Physical pain fades,” he said. “But words stay with a child. Children don’t want to disappoint their parents, and that emotional bond is far more powerful than fear.”

Although trained as an engineer in the United Kingdom, Panji revealed that his creative instincts were evident early. A university tutor once advised him to switch to English studies, a suggestion he declined at the time but later came to understand.

“What you study at university isn’t really the point,” he said. “You’re there to learn how to think.”

His creative journey soon took a major turn when he began working in British media, eventually becoming the first African writer to work on a major UK television sitcom, Desmond’s. Panji spent three years on the show, with episodes he wrote earning nominations for prestigious awards including BAFTA and the Royal Television Awards.

Despite this success, he grew frustrated with the layers of censorship and distance between creativity and release in television, leading him to shift his focus to music.

Panji’s contribution to Ghana’s music industry is most evident in his role in shaping hiplife. Drawing from observations in the UK, where British rappers gained relevance by embracing local accents and experiences, he became convinced that Ghanaian hip-hop needed to reflect local languages, rhythms and culture.

“Africans want to dance,” he said. “Our strength is rhythm. So why ignore it?”

He began experimenting with local sounds, traditional rhythms such as asɔpo, and call-and-response structures deeply rooted in African music. Working with young artistes and producers, Panji pushed for a sound that felt authentically Ghanaian rather than imported.

Ultimately, Panji said his decision to move fully into music was driven by a desire to create rather than observe.

“As a journalist, you wait for someone else to make great art,” he explained. “I wanted to be at the beginning of the process…helping people create it.”

Now regarded as one of the architects of modern Ghanaian music culture, Panji continues to champion authenticity, cultural pride and creative freedom, urging young creatives to draw inspiration from their immediate environment.

“If you want to compete globally,” he said, “use the resources only you have access to.”