Ata Kak
Obaa Sima is the debut studio album by Ghanaian singer Ata Kak. Originally self-released in 1994, only 50 copies of the album were made, of which 3 were sold. The album initially gathered no attention until record label Awesome Tapes From Africa founder Brian Shimkovitz came across one of the only copies of the album from a vendor in Cape Coast, Ghana in 2002. The album was finally re-released on 3 March 2015.
The album was recorded using secondhand drum-machine rhythms along with built-in synth sounds, sounding like dance beats made in the 80s and 90s and was recorded in his own living room and bathroom. The original tracks of the DAT copy of the album (discovered by Shimkovitz) was sped up by Ata himself in post-production, giving the music a rough but helium-like quality.
Obaa Sima has since gathered massive attention and critique for its dynamic blend of highlife, electro-funk, and hip hop across its 7 tracks, which was unlike anything of its time. As of 2022, the album's songs in total has been streamed more than 8 million times on Spotify and has helped Ata Kak resume his passion for music commercially.
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