Batakari

Description

Ata Kak made history in Ghanaian music with his cult album Obaa Sima, released in 1994 to little fanfare before being rediscovered in 2016 thanks to the blog Awesome Tapes From Africa. This unique blend of lo-fi electronica and hiplife in Twi captivated a new generation of fans, propelling its mysterious creator, Yaw Atta-Owusu, onto the stages of major festivals like Glastonbury, Sónar, and Pop Montreal. More than twenty years later, Ata Kak is finally releasing new tracks, crafted in the studios of Kumasi. They feature his acrobatic rap, inimitable scats, and explosive percussion, enriched by more complex arrangements, layered harmonies, and the addition of traditional instruments like the Akan harp. These compositions extend the unique world of Obaa Sima, while asserting the creativity of a prolific artist who is also a poet, painter, and gardener. Born in Ghana in 1960, Ata Kak traveled extensively before anchoring himself in music: he was a drummer in a reggae band in Germany and a member of highlife groups in Canada, recording Obaa Sima in his home studio in Toronto before releasing it in Ghana. Reissued in 2015, the album relaunched a live career now celebrated on three continents, a brilliant testament to the timeless and visionary nature of his work.