De Frank Kakra
Synopsis (3lp)
Not much is known about the artist known as De Frank Kakra - much less his birth name or his whereabouts. 'Kakra' in the local dialect of Asante Twi is often used to refer to the younger of twin brothers. However, digging deeper into his story we uncover a man of Ewe roots. A few liner notes scattered across his records offer glimpses into his career as a backup vocalist and percussionist, recording and performing with prominent highlife musicians throughout the gold coast of Africa in the 1970s. Most notable was his involvement with the Cubano Fiestas, the stage and studio musicians for K. Frimpong. Many of these musicians were also members of the Vis-A-Vis band credited on his first albums. Eventually finding his solo voice, De Frank formed his own bands consisting of several of these musicians. With the renowned guitarist Sammy Copper by his side, The Professionals and The Diggit Ways recorded albums with labels across Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast - records RastaPasta Records have unearthed, remastered, and compiled into the debut release of their label. While rumors from Hamburg to Hawaii have circulated, their research objective is to verify several findings they have made about his life while producing this record. They invite those interested in his story to support the past and present labels that have released his work; notably Ride Away, Dr. Nyarko & Sons, Homzy Records, Bowo, SID, Analog Africa and Oriki Music, as well as the families and musicians he worked with who are still with us today. Remasters: Along with the research, a considerable amount of attention was given to the remastering of this project. With Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, they are able to bring De Frank Kakra back to life. Creating a cohesive listening experience for a compilation using recordings from different studios, pressing plants, and mixing and mastering techniques demands both technical expertise and artistic sensitivity. The label's objective here was to preserve the integrity of the original music as intended by the artists while producing a record that resonates with audiophiles and dance-floors alike.