Ata Kak – Daa Nyinaa – 12″

Ata Kak’s legendary tape “Obaa Sima” introduced one of the greatest left-field dance floor jammers of all time, “Daa Nyinaa”. Now available on 12″ single for the first time, the song Ata Kak recorded in his Toronto apartment in 1993 lives on. The artist was cloaked in mystery until very recently; he created a joyously idiosyncratic balancing act of highlife, R&B, rap and house music that resonated with listeners many miles and several years away. The single is backed with the tape’s final song, a minimalist electronic instrumental dripping with lo-fi rhythmic soul called “Bome Nnwom”.

The journey that lead to this 12″ – which also took many miles and many years – shows the extent to which music can inspire and excite, regardless of background or experience. After years of searching, Awesome Tapes From Africa tracked down the artist’s family in Canada. His recording was the first to be posted on the ATFA blog back in 2006, and has been an underground obsession for many diehard internet music fans ever since. The singer/producer – whose real name is Yaw Atta-Owusu – became happily aware of the distance his music has traveled since it was quietly released in 1994. Obaa Sima was released worldwide this March after a years-long wait and a brilliant restoration and remastering, by Jessica Thompson at the Magic Shop NYC, of one of the few remaining playable cassette copies in known existence. With this special release, we hone in on the genius elements that make Ata Kak’s nearly-forgotten music so remarkable.

Awesome Tapes From Africa

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