Ata Kak / Photo courtesy of Awesome Tapes From Africa.
In 1994, Ghanaian artist Ata Kak released his cassette Obaa Sima, recorded in his apartment in Toronto.
The music on the cassette was unique, as Ata Kak sought to fuse Ghanaian highlife with hip-hop, using a mix of samplers and software. However, the cassette proved too much for those who heard it.
Three copies were sold, and Ata Kak promptly disappeared, until recently...
Simon Wallace talks with Yaw Atta-Owusu about the creation of Obaa Sima, and to Brian Schimkovitz, blogger and founder of the Awesome Tapes from Africa label, about the decade-long search for Ata Kak. We begin with Brian, backstage at a recent show in Wellington.
Related Audio
An interview with Brian Shimkovitz
Music Details
Artist: Ata Kak
Song: Obaa Sima, Medofo, Bome Nnwom, Adagya
Composer: Yaw Atta-Owusu
Album: Obaa Sima
Label: Awesome Tapes From Africa
