Ata Kak, Awesome Tapes From Africa, Katapila

Cassette enthusiast Brian Shimkovitz started his blog Awesome Tapes From Africa in 2006, in a bid to bring the stack of recordings he’d brought back from his jaunts to Africa to a wider public.

Having studied ethno-musicology at Indiana University, an encounter with the music of Fela Kuti proved to be a transformative experience, and Shimkovitz swiftly upped sticks and headed to Ghana to research highlife music.

On this and on subsequent trips, Shimkovitz unearthed more and more music on cassette which lay undiscovered by the western world, and set about putting his collection online for others to appreciate.

For a time the blog was just a hobby, but now he DJs around the world, and releases the music through his own label.

Visit www.awesometapes.com for more information.