Ata Kak

Ghanaian Electronic Highlife Music Pioneer

Ata Kak is the musical project of Ghanaian artist Yaw Atta-Owusu, whose work gained international recognition many years after its initial release. His album "Obaa Sima," recorded in the early 1990s, was initially released on cassette in Ghana and Canada to little fanfare. The album's unique blend of highlife, rap, and electronic music went largely unnoticed until it was rediscovered by musicologist Brian Shimkovitz, who featured it on his blog Awesome Tapes From Africa in 2006. This led to a reissue of "Obaa Sima" in 2015, which brought Ata Kak's music to a global audience and earned him a cult following. The album is celebrated for its infectious energy and originality, combining Twi-language rap with funky rhythms and lo-fi production. Despite the initial obscurity, Ata Kak's work has since become an influential piece in the world of world music and electronic fusion.