Awesome Tapes From Africa Adds Awesome DJ From Africa To Roster

Awesome Tapes From Africa's Brian Shimkovitz has been an authority on underground and underappreciated African music for almost a decade (next year marks AFTA's 10th anniversary). His newest discovery, we hope, headlines the anniversary party.

DJ Katapila, aka Ishmael Abbey, is a DJ and producer from Ghana who uses an 808 with fierce fluency, while rapping in his native Ga language. According the ATFA: "Katapila didn't start producing music until he was 39 years old. Around 1998, began chanting and rapping in Twi and Ga during instrumental breaks of songs he was DJing. He added Yamaha DD11 electronic drum pads and sampler…[he now] makes Ga traditional music using electronic sounds instead of live percussion to create his own kind of what he calls house music."

Trolo was originally released in Ghana back in 2009. It will receive its first Stateside release via the ATFA label on February 19. You can listen to the cut "Cocoawra" below and preorder Trolo here.