African artist Ata Kak released his cassette Obaa Sima in 1994 in Ghana and Canada, with little success. Year’s later, Awesome Tapes from Africa spurred the little known singer into an internet sensation. Finally, on March 3, the electronic rapper’s album will be released on LP, CD and digital and limited edition cassette.
Obaa Sima combines a variety of different music including highlife, a genre that originated in Ghana, where the artist is from. The album also includes Twi-language rap, funk, hip-hop and electronic.
The story of the search for Ata Kak is one that spans over three continents, after the soul and brilliance of his album was finally noticed. The remastered released will feature rare archival photos and a bonus download of the albums original slower sound, before it was apparently sped up during duplication.
Awesome Tapes from Africa was started in 2006 by Brian Shimkovitz. Ata Kak’s tape was the inaugural post from the blog, after Shimkovitz discovered the cassette at a stall in Ghana in 2002. Only 50 copies were pressed in Ghana in 2004 but no new copies were made after the album was deemed unsuccessful. However, after appearing on Awesome Tapes from Africa, it developed an internet following in the underground music circles. Tribute videos have received more than 100,000 YouTube views. Reposts of the cassette have appeared on dozens of blogs with remixes of Ata Kak’s music being played in clubs from Auckland to Tokyo and Los Angeles to London. This surprising uprising comes as a shock to not only music fans but to Ata Kak himself, who has no knowledge of his internet fame.
Check out Ata Kak's "Bome Nnwom" down below
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